Precious Moments
by clover71
Summary: Naruto thinks it's just ordinary water and the silly tale about the fertility fountain is nothing but rubbish. Why then is Tsunade telling him he's pregnant? And how do Iruka and Izumo fit into the picture? SasuNaru KakaIru Kotetsu/Izumo Raidou/Genma and a partridge in a pear tree (kidding) MPREG, be warned and lots of POV changes between scenes
1. Chapter 1

**Author's notes:**

- This fic has actually been completed. I wrote it for the MPreg BigBang challenge in LiveJournal but the full story has been posted at AO3 (Archive of Our Own). However, since there was a deadline to meet, I wrote it in a rush and therefore, I'm not happy with the story flow so I am in a futile attempt to fix it ('attempt' being the operative word and 'futile' being the keyword) so I will be posting it here as I go through each group of scenes. Feel free to nudge or poke me if I like forget to post as often as every two to three days. I am quite forgetful. Also, I did my best to change the lemon part to meet FFnet standards (I hope) but the difference in comparison with the original fic is barely noticeable.

- The story may be set in the canon verse but definitely doesn't follow the storyline. It changes from the point where Sasuke was supposed to meet Itachi for their inevitable battle but the fight never happened. I thought of making their lives a little easier thereafter.

- I've read too much angst_y_ Naruto fan fictions that I needed a lighter fic wherein they don't have to face off with Akatsuki or any enemy of the Leaf for a change or even deal with the unwarranted drama life throws at them. In short, I needed something light and fluffy with hopefully humor on the side. So please don't expect something epic.

- The idea springs from the common jest I hear whenever there are quite a number of pregnancies in an area or community or workplace: "It must be in the water."

- You may find Sasuke a bit OOC here, considering he didn't end up killing his brother and he swallowed a bottle of happy pills. Kidding. But I often wondered what he'll be like if he doesn't carry the burden of his hatred and quest for revenge.

**Disclaimer:** This fan fiction is written for non-profitable purpose and author does not claim copyright. Naruto and its characters are owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

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Part 1

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The heat clings at the back of his neck like claws on fire, scorching his already sunburnt skin. Beads of sweat cascade down the sides of his face. They've been under the sun for hours, searching for some rare herb that is surely living up to its reputation. If this isn't for someone he cares about, Naruto won't certainly go through any lengths finding some damn plant as if he's looking for a needle in a haystack.

Thirst distracts him from his task. Not wanting to pass out due to dehydration, he abandons his search and trudges over to where he left his bag earlier only to find his flask empty. "I'm gonna go find some water," he tells Ino who is the nearest and is busy gathering some leaves from a foliage.

"Don't go too far," she says without sparing him a glance.

There aren't any signs of water resources nearby so Naruto has no choice but to wander farther into the island. After about fifteen minutes of hike, soft trickling sound reaches his ears. Using it as a guide, he comes upon a small fountain nestled within some kind of a hidden garden. Curtains of vines surround the small space. A face of a woman is carved on a rock protruding from a steep wall and relief floods Naruto when he notices the water sprouting out of the head statue's mouth.

Naruto fills his flask with the cool liquid then thrusts a cupped hand under the stream. He takes a sip of the water he manages to collect and is entranced by the slight sweet taste. Repeating the process, he takes a gulp this time. And another.

"You shouldn't be drinking from that." A voice startles him and he nearly loses his footing when he jumps back, fingers curling around the kunai in his holster. Why didn't he sense this stranger's presence?

A young man with light brown hair and dark eyes is standing on top of the elevated ground just above the fountain, arms crossed over his chest and lips twisted in a condescending smirk.

"Why not?" Naruto asks as soon as the shock wears off.

The man scoffs and regards Naruto with a crease between his eyebrows. "Don't you know what that is?"

"If I did, I probably wouldn't…" he starts to say but he holds his tongue when he hears Ino calling out his name.

The blonde kunoichi soon emerges through the vines. "There you are." Her eyes spring up on the stranger, hand quickly reaching behind her, presumably for a weapon. "What's going on?" she asks, gaze constantly switching between Naruto and the man.

"Your friend here," the man uses his chin to indicate that he's referring to Naruto, "just took a gulp of water from this fountain."

Ino's lips form a perfect ellipse. "Naruto, you did not!"

Confused, Naruto scratches his head and pulls his eyebrows together in a frown. "What's the big deal? I was thirsty. And the water is clean."

"But Naruto…" are the only words that make it out of Ino's mouth when a pink head appears through curtains of green and yellow leaves

"What are you two doing here? We've been looking everywhere for you. Hinata and I were beginning to worry." Sakura stills when her green eyes land on the man towering over them. "Who's that?"

"Never mind him." Ino plants one hand on her hip and gestures at Naruto with the other, saying, "Naruto here just took a drink from the fertility fountain."

Sakura pales, her jaw going slack and she pins Naruto in place with an incredulous look. "You. Did. What?"

"How am I supposed to know it's a—" Naruto's gaze springs from Sakura to Ino. "The what fountain?"

Ino rolls her eyes. "Fertility fountain, you idiot. You see that?" She gestures at the face carved on the wall with a long, slender finger. "That's supposed to be an image of a fertility goddess or something. And that water sprouting from its mouth comes from a reservoir underground, which is used to treat infertility or aid women in conceiving a child. Tsunade-sama told us about this."

Naruto worries his lower lip while his mind processes Ino's words. "Ha!" he exclaims, pointing a finger at Ino. "You said it can aid _women_ in conceiving a child. Well, I'm not a woman."

The low chuckle resonating behind him prompts Naruto to whirl around and face the stranger once more. The man is wearing a pompous grin when he says, "I just hope you're not in a same-sex relationship. And if you are, you're in bad luck if you're on the receiving end."

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" Naruto snaps back but the stranger only shrugs then leaves without another word. "Hey, wait a minute!"

"Forget about him. We have to go back to the village. Hinata and I found the rest of the herbs. Come on." Sakura leads them back to their camp site where Hinata is working on sealing the buckets of herbs in the scrolls.

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The sun is slowly creeping out of its hiding place, spilling faint golden glow over the boundaries of Konoha and through the glass window of the oval office. Tsunade stares past her faint reflection on the clear glass, watching four figures strutting down the street that stretches from the main gate all the way to the Hokage tower.

"You didn't have to send them all the way to Nanakusa Island, Tsunade-sama." The deep, soothing voice cuts through her musing and she turns to the dark-haired shinobi beside her, his eyes glowing red while staring out at a distance, presumably watching the same squad that has just arrived from their mission.

"Well, we will need certain herbs for the final stages of your treatment and that's the only place where they can get them." She flashes Itachi with a small, reassuring smile. "Besides, they didn't mind at all."

It had been more than two years since Itachi Uchiha was brought to the village by his younger brother. Tsunade remembers it fairly well. Sasuke came to bargain with her, offering information about Orochimaru, Kabuto (who had assimilated Orochimaru within him) and the Akatsuki in exchange for her help to heal his brother and get rid of the ailment – the degenerative disease that was slowly consuming his body.

Never had she expected nor envisioned the rogue ninja to look so desolate, so desperate.

The Council, of course, refused to let the Uchiha brothers return without repercussions. They declared that imprisonment is in order. They demanded brutal punishment. Hell, even Danzo insisted that the brothers should be executed. Not that Tsunade expected the old geezer to have a heart, but she was quick to perceive that there was something suspicious with how adamant Danzo was about having Itachi and Sasuke removed from existence.

Like always, she ignored them. She was glad – still is glad – that she accepted Sasuke's offer of intel back then. After they managed to stabilize Itachi's condition, the older Uchiha was willing to entertain Inoichi's mind probe. Soon after, they learned about Danzo's involvement in the Uchiha Massacre, about the Council's role in the scheme.

Danzo was too sly that he slipped through their fingers and they've been on a hunt for the old shinobi since. Homura and Koharu have been removed from the Council but no other penalties were given as the Daimyo ordered. Politics is politics, crooked as it may seem, and she has no choice but to play by the rules. Sometimes.

The Uchiha brothers' unexpected homecoming came oddly at a perfect time. They had just settled in when Pein came to invade Konoha. Sasuke was there to help defend the village and even stood by Naruto's side, completely ignoring Naruto's wish that no one should get in his way.

The soft knock on the door alerts her of the group's arrival, if their chakra signatures aren't enough to go by. "Come in." She settles behind her large desk, her hands clasped over paper-cluttered surface.

Itachi has already made himself comfortable on the high-back chair at the corner of Tsunade's office, hands folded in his lap.

Sakura is the first to enter, followed by Hinata, Ino and Naruto. "Hey Granny," the only boy in the group says. "Mission accomplished." He places the storage scrolls on Tsunade's desk.

"Good work everyone." She barks orders then – for Ino and Hinata to bring the herbs to Shizune so they can start preparing the antidote for the remaining strain of the virus in Itachi's body and for Sakura to work on getting Itachi's blood samples. "You're all dismissed."

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There's nothing extraordinary about this morning, except for the part where Iruka decides to come to work earlier than usual. He just wants to get the past week's mission reports archived before he is swamped with another set of workload. The Mission Assignment Desk is two men short this week and to make the situation worse, mission requests have been pouring in.

Ironically, after Pein's invasion, Leaf shinobi's services have been in high demand but most genin and chuunin couldn't be spared because they have been assigned to help with the reconstruction. Now that the village is standing back on its feet, it's business as usual, so to speak. Konoha certainly needs to draw in considerable income. They're done rejecting requests.

Light tapping sound distracts Iruka from his thoughts. "Come in," he says and he pulls a smile on his lips when a blond head pokes through the slightly open door.

"Hey, Iruka sensei. You busy?"

"Hey, Naruto. Not really, no." Iruka beckons him inside and doesn't bother to reprimand his former student when he hops up on the table and perches on the edge with his feet dangling. He's pretty much used to Naruto's childlike ways. "Just got back from a mission?"

"Yeah. If you call harvesting herbs a mission. Oh, I got your tea leaves, by the way." Naruto rummages inside his back pack, the tip of his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth. He pulls out a small plastic bag and hands it to Iruka, blue eyes sparkling when he says, "Picked them all myself. Of course, Sakura helped me in choosing the good ones."

"Thanks, Naruto." Thinking of tea suddenly makes Iruka thirsty. He lifts his empty glass and asks, "Do you mind getting me some water."

Instead of taking the glass though, Naruto sticks his hand inside his bag once more. "I have water," he says and pours the contents of his flask in the glass. "Anyway, I have to go. I have to do the laundry before meeting up with Itachi, Sakura, Ino and Hinata. Itachi's taking us out to lunch so I only have a few hours to do the chores."

With a dismissive wave, he's gone, leaving Iruka with his own thoughts once more. He brings the glass to his lips and takes a swig of the water while thinking that he has his own chores to do at home. Kakashi won't be back from his mission until the end of next week, so Iruka still has time to do a bit of cleaning.

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Yakiniku Q is nearly packed with diners. Apparently, they're hosting a civilian's birthday celebration. Itachi considers moving to Ichiraku, but he's certain only Naruto will enjoy it. He owes the girls more for everything they've done. With their medical expertise, they've assisted Tsunade in treating the disease that has been residing in his body for years.

Naruto raises his glass of green tea. "So what are we drinking to?"

"How 'bout… to Itachi's full recovery," Sakura says, lifting her own glass and the rest of them mirrors her gesture.

In the surface, Itachi's glad to be back in the village. With those responsible for his defection out of the way and his name somewhat cleared (though there are still a handful who persecute him for murdering his entire clan), it finally feels like he's back home. Deep inside, he fears that this may only be temporary, that in a blink of an eye, he'll be back on the other side of the village wall.

One thing he detests is being pessimistic, but after everything he has gone through, he can't help but perceive all good things as nothing but a façade. Dealing with Danzo has taught him to expect the worst, like some paranoia that haunts him even when asleep. He shoves the thought to the back of his mind, reminding himself that Danzo is gone and the chance for him to return to village is slim to none.

Someone shouting, "Happy birthday!" disrupts his rumination and his eyes stray over to the table filled with civilians.

"That reminds me." Itachi pulls his gaze away from the rampant scene, the sight of the lively celebration on the other side of the room bringing a juvenile idea in mind. "Sasuke's birthday is coming up. I was thinking of doing something for him." Somehow, he feels he owes it to his brother, thinks he has to do this as a compensation for stealing Sasuke's childhood. As a shinobi, they're not that accustomed to celebrating birthdays but after everything they've been through – him battling a deadly disease, Pain destroying the village, Konoha being rebuilt – it's about time they should start celebrating life for a change.

Ino squeals, says, "I know! A surprise party!" and claps her hand like it's a brilliant idea.

Sakura doesn't seem to agree. She rolls her eyes and says, "Ino, that's so yesterday's news."

Besides, Sasuke hates parties. In fact, Sasuke isn't fond of socializing so Itachi knows planning something for his birthday is pointless. There is one thing he knows his brother will enjoy though. He casts a glance at Naruto who has noticeably fallen quiet for some reason. "Something wrong, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto's head snaps up, blue eyes widening for a fleeting instant, then he shakes his head, says, "No. Nothing. I uh… I was just thinking of what to do for Sasuke." He's lying, Itachi can tell. Just as he can tell that something is bothering the young shinobi.

It's no secret that Naruto and Sasuke are in a relationship. They've kept it a hidden for a while, but Itachi was quick to see the signs back then. And he doesn't mind them being together at all. He cares for Naruto like a little brother as much as he does with Sasuke.

Itachi nudges Naruto with his shoulder. "Don't worry. We have two weeks to think about it."

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It starts with a sharp jab right at the center of his belly, followed by the nasty contraction of his abdominal muscles. It hurts damn much that it feels as if a hand is wrapped around his entrails, squeezing until all Naruto can do is curl in a ball. Sweat breaks through his face when the hot, searing pain slices through his viscera. This happens twice on the first day, thrice on the next two days. Kurama warns him, telling him that there is something wrong with his body.

Kurama's voice echoes in his head, saying, _You need to seek medical assistance, boy,_ in that firm and demanding tone he often uses but this time, Naruto doesn't miss the hint of worry lacing the kyuubi's words.

_I'm fine._ Naruto does his best to sound unruffled despite feeling anything but. _I'm sure it's nothing you can't fix._ It's at times like this when Kurama acts like a freaking doting father that Naruto regrets having started this odd but congenial relationship. At least, Kurama knows when not to cross the line and for that, Naruto is grateful.

The physical agony has somewhat abated by the time Sasuke returns from his week-long mission, _thank goodness._

Naruto senses Sasuke's presence when Sasuke sneaks into his apartment, quiet as a mouse and chakra concealed. So he's not at all surprised when a hard chest presses against his back, pale arms wounding around his middle and warm lips brushing his cheeks.

"Hey." Naruto twists around to face his lover, causing Sasuke to drop his arms. "I thought you won't be back until tomorrow."

"What? Not happy to see me?" The playful lilt in Sasuke's voice coaxes a smile to form on Naruto's lips. But Sasuke must have seen something in Naruto's eyes that causes creases to appear between his eyebrows. "What's wrong?"

Worried that Sasuke might see his discomfort, Naruto responds in haste, says, "Nothing," and punctuates it with a shake of his head.

Dark eyes study him for a fleeting moment as if attempting to peel off the many layers of his facade then the lines above the bridge of Sasuke's nose disappears and the stoic mask slides in place. "Have you thought about my offer?"

Naruto inclines his head, uncertain of what Sasuke means. "What offer?"

"About moving in together."

_Oh. That._ With all the sequential D-rank missions (which is totally embarrassing for a chuunin, in his opinion, but Tsunade insists he needs a break from higher rank missions) that Naruto has had for the past week, he has somehow forgotten about it. Or maybe not because that issue did breeze through his mind when Itachi brought up Sasuke's birthday at Yakiniku Q days ago.

"I uh." Uncertainty seizes Naruto's train of thought. He knows that the people's reaction is the least of his worries. It's not like no one knows that he and Sasuke are a couple. It's just that moving in together – living under one roof and all that – risks the possibility of falling too deep. What if… what if Sasuke decides to leave again? Naruto isn't sure how he will be able to handle that. But he doesn't want to sound too clingy, so he rummages through his exhausted brain for other excuses. "I… I don't know. Don't you think it's too soon? I mean, what will people say?"

Signs of annoyance undulate on Sasuke's face. "Hn. Are the people's opinion more important to you than I am?" Naruto parts his lips to respond but Sasuke holds up his hand, palm facing Naruto, and says, "Forget it. Forget I asked," then leaves Naruto's apartment as if his pants are on fire.

Sasuke's words and that damn facial expression haunt Naruto's thoughts for the rest of the day. The psychological turmoil must have shown on his face because Iruka refuses to give him a mission and tells him to take the day off. But Naruto's stubborn disposition eventually earns him another low-rank mission and he spends the afternoon at Hana Inuzuka's veterinary clinic helping one of her bitches deliver puppies.

Naruto stays at the Inuzuka's for dinner at Hana's insistence. It's too bad Kiba is away on a mission. He can sure use his friend's loud mouth to distract him from his predicament with Sasuke. Watching the miracle of birth for hours provides only a temporary relief from his worries. Though he can't deny how fascinating it is to see a new life spring forth.

It's late when Naruto arrives home. Sasuke is sprawled on Naruto's bed with his arms tucked behind his head. "Where have you been?"

"Hana's clinic." Naruto begins to remove his clothes, starting with his jacket. He stinks like a dog. "She needed assistance because one of her dogs gave birth. Eight puppies. Now that's pretty exhausting."

"I see." Sasuke moves to sit upright, his bare feet dropping on the hardwood floor. His expression is neutral that Naruto deems it safe to approach his lover.

"Sasuke, about earlier…." Long finger rests on Naruto's lips, silencing him.

"I shouldn't have put you on the spot." Sasuke's other hand curls around Naruto's wrist, tugging him down on his lap. "I'm sorry. You're right. We should think things over." Their foreheads touch, both of them breathing in synchrony. "Forgive me?"

Naruto nods then inclines his head so his mouth can welcome Sasuke's. He misses this, misses Sasuke so much. It seems that time has stretched since Sasuke last held him even though he's well aware that only a week has passed.

The fleeting touch of Sasuke's fingers against his sides, pushing and pushing his shirt up and skirting along his heated skin, makes Naruto yearn to have more of Sasuke. "I want you," he says, voice husky, not even daring to assess the situation of how desperate he seems. But Naruto wants this, needs to feel Sasuke against him, over him, inside him, _now, now, now, please._

His impatience is getting the best of him as he practically tears Sasuke's shirt off, trying to get his lover out of the damn tight confines. Low, dulcet laughter vibrates from Sasuke's throat. "Eager are we?"

Oh Kami, he has no idea. It's like… it's like Sasuke is a drug and Naruto has to have him now. "Please," is all he says, not even sure what he's begging for. His hands tremble as it maps every contour of Sasuke's torso.

Sasuke buries his face right under Naruto's chin, mouth and tongue tracing every curve, every dip and every angle of Naruto's neck and shoulders and chest. Agile hands work on getting Naruto's clothes off until Naruto's lying with his back digging on the sheets – naked and panting and begging.

"Now." Naruto practically growls, not caring that Sasuke only has two slick fingers stretching him.

"I don't want to hurt you, usuratonkachi," Sasuke says, breathing against Naruto's ear. "It's been a while."

"I don't care. I want you inside me now, Sasuke."

Sasuke finally slips inside him, stopping for a moment, perhaps to wait for Naruto's muscles to relax. Once fully sheathed, Sasuke asks, "You okay?"

Naruto can only move his head in a frantic nod, reveling in the sensation of being filled after a week of deprivation. "Move, S'suke." And Sasuke does, pulling out bit by bit and sliding back in at an equally unhurried pace – too slow for Naruto's liking.

"F-fuck me," Naruto all but demanded, his fingernails digging into Sasuke's arms when Sasuke gradually increases his speed, moving in and out, in and out in a gentle yet at the same time rough manner. Naruto can't really tell which, totally lost in the sensation now, too lost in the pleasure of feeling Sasuke thrusting into him, coaxing the familiar pressure to build up in his groin area.

Sasuke's moving at a steady rhythm – fast and hard, fast and hard – and Naruto feels all his blood surging down to his crotch. He feels warm fingers curling around his erection before his own hand can reach them, stroking him – tight then loose, thumb teasing the underside.

_Oh… oh…_ Naruto feels like his brain is about to explode. "I'm…," is all that goes past his lips before he comes apart, orgasm wrenching through him, pulsating ceaselessly it seems.

It doesn't take long for Sasuke to follow. Naruto feels him stiffen on top of him, feels the warmth of Sasuke's release filling him. Then Sasuke's body goes limp, half falling over Naruto like a heavy blanket.

The feeling of Sasuke's lips scattering kisses down the side of his neck is the last thing that registers in Naruto's mind before he gradually slips into a tranquil state.

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tbc

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Question... I've noticed FFnet has made slight changes in posting new stories. There used to be only 2 fields for characters but now, you can identify the characters in your story using the drop down box, allowing you to choose more than 2. If say, I choose 4 characters, would all the names reflect on the summary page? I should have tried it to find out but I don't wanna mess up. Still, I'm curious as a cat here.

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	2. Chapter 2

There's a little KakaIru scene here so in case you don't support the pairing, feel free to skip that part.

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Part 2

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"Just how much time does he need anyway?" Sasuke finds it rather degrading to hear himself whine like a child. But he needs to vent, _damn it._ It's been a week since he got back from his latest mission, two weeks since he first asked Naruto to move in with him, but Naruto hasn't made a decision yet.

Without peeling his attention away from the pile of papers he's been perusing through, Shikamaru says, "You, of all people, should understand Naruto's hesitation." Then he lifts his eyes to meet Sasuke's with a lackadaisical expression. "You did leave the village five years ago and you know now how much it affected Naruto. Maybe he's scared to take a step further in your relationship because he fears that history might repeat itself."

Shikamaru has a point. Sasuke's relationship with Naruto did start out with uncertainties – lots of them. There was even a time when Naruto had gone through what Tsunade had called 'separation anxiety' which hit him full force whenever Sasuke left for a mission. But they're past that now. Aren't they?

"Hn," is all the reaction Sasuke can muster, can't even get himself to agree that Shikamaru is right. He slams the rubber stamp on a paper without reading its contents and repeats it with the rest of the stack on his side of the table. It's a tedious task anyway. Why the Hokage asked him to help sort out these documents is beyond him.

"Just give Naruto some time. I'm sure he'll come around," Shikamaru says after a while then he scoffs and shakes his head. "I can't believe I'm actually giving relationship advice here. Anyway, let's get these documents to the Hokage. We've got other preparations to do for the Fire Festival."

"Are we done?" At Shikamaru's cursory nod, Sasuke sighs in relief. "Good. I think my fingers are starting to sting from all the paper cuts."

A low gruff noise passes through Shikamaru's nose. "This is nothing in comparison to the documents I had to check during the chuunin exams two years ago," he says in a no-nonsense way as if pointing out that this is nothing to complain about.

"At least they didn't hold the exams here last year. Saved you from all the trouble."

"Yeah. I wish I was there though. I heard it was a riot. "

Riot is probably a mild way to put it, thanks to Killer Bee's eccentricity. The eight-tails jinchuuriki thought he should take advantage of having visitors from other nations and held a rap concert during the final rounds of the exam. In the middle of the stadium where the battles would be held, of all places. The Raikage wasn't pleased and practically dragged Killer Bee out of the venue and down the streets of Kumogakure. The brighter side of that trip was he and Naruto returned to Konoha as chuunin.

Sasuke heaves a sigh, the thought of that event bringing not-so-pleasant memories. "I thought for sure they weren't going to let me register back then," he says wistfully from out of the blue.

"You kidding?" One ebony eyebrow arches, which looks kind of odd on Shikamaru's face. "Tsunade-sama fought to get you into that exam. Besides, the Raikage knows about your heroic act during Pain's invasion…."

A disbelieving sound escapes Sasuke. _Yeah, right. Heroic act, indeed._ "I don't think passing out due to chakra exhaustion falls under the definition of heroic, Shikamaru.

"Point is you did something to protect the village. That paved way to your redemption, don't you think?" Shikamaru rose from his seat, bringing his arms over his head and stretches. "Let's go before Tsunade-sama throws a fit."

They're leaving the Nara compound when Sasuke notices the hawk circling above them, screeching. The flight pattern is enough to discern the message. "I have to go. Kakashi wants to see me," Sasuke mutters and he's grateful for the intrusion. He is not too eager to face the Hokage so soon.

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Kakashi is staring up at the torii gate that stands outside the newly rebuilt Nakano Shrine when Sasuke arrives. "I found out where Danzo is hiding," he says without preamble. After reporting to the Hokage, he deems it important to inform his former student of this new information. No secrets, he promised when Sasuke came back to the village. "But he's cunning as ever and slipped away from under our noses."

"So he escaped." It's not even a question, but a disgruntled statement from Sasuke, which he ironically utters with the usual Uchiha indifference.

"The straightforward answer would be yes." Kakashi finally pulls his visible eye away from the structure to look at the young man before him. "But at least we found out he's not with Tobi. There isn't any proof that he's in contact with the Akatsuki either."

"I doubt Tobi will be showing his face – or in his case, his mask – to Danzo after spilling the truth about Danzo's involvement in the death of my kindred." A shadow falls upon Sasuke's facade, which Kakashi now considers normal whenever Sasuke talks about Danzo and the massacre. The quick shift of topic is expected. Sasuke makes a concise report about his latest mission, says that he, along with Shino, Kiba and Sai, have lost track of Kabuto. It's as if the man had vanished without a trace. "My wild guess is that he has gone to Ryuuchi Cave. He did brag ostentatiously during our last encounter that he intends to train and learn the sage art of the White Snake."

_That Kabuto,_ Kakashi shouldn't be surprised. That man is so blinded by his quest for power, just like Orochimaru before him. "At least we won't have to worry about any of them showing up to disrupt the Fire Festival. Well… I better head home. Iruka is on his day off and he's most likely expecting me to be back today."

"And I have to find Shikamaru. Tsunade has asked me to help him out in the preparations for the Fire Festival." Sasuke's shoulders droop. "I hope that doesn't mean I won't have any missions for a month," he says and curses under his breath.

Kakashi gives the dark-haired teen a light pat on his shoulder to show his sympathy. "I'm sure that won't be the case." As soon as they part ways, Kakashi belatedly regrets having said that because he's not sure what Tsunade's plans are for the young Uchiha. Sure, she's been lenient for the past year, trusting Sasuke enough to head out on B-rank missions, but she can't seem to break the habit of keeping an eye on the once-tagged rogue ninja. Occasionally, she keeps Sasuke confined in the village – probably without her even realizing what her actions entail.

It is clear that Sasuke has changed. Gone is the hatred that once darkened his soul. He doubts the whole revelation about the Uchiha clan's massacre and Itachi's role in the whole fiasco has contributed to Sasuke's unexpected character transformation. The boy was so twisted back then that a little enlightening couldn't have changed him. Kakashi thinks—no, he believes that Naruto is the reason for Sasuke's gradual detachment from the bitterness that once poisoned his way of thinking.

Iruka is in the kitchen when Kakashi arrives home, face buried in his crossed forearms that's resting over the kitchen table. Probably not sensing Kakashi's presence since Kakashi approaches with practiced stealth, Iruka startles when Kakashi says, "Love?"

"Oh." Iruka's eyes seem unfocused when his head snaps up. Then he blinks, says, "You're home! Welcome home," and a gratifying smile slides into his lips. A grating sound resonates in the small space when Iruka springs up with little grace, causing the chair's legs to scratch against the wooden floor. He receives Kakashi in his arms without the usual vigor that Kakashi is used to. "You want me to fix you a bath?"

Something is amiss – different in the way Iruka carries himself. "Are you okay?" Kakashi can't conceal the worry in his voice. "You look… I don't know… pale."

"I'm fine. Just abdominal pains. But it's better now." Iruka tugs down Kakashi's mask and brushes his lips against Kakashi's cheek – the touch fleeting and gentle. "I'll go prepare your bath then make you some tea."

Finding his partner irresistible, Kakashi grabs Iruka from behind before he can walk away then wounds an arm around Iruka's waist and buries his nose at the crook of Iruka's neck, inhaling the musky scent he finds so enticing. "Bathe with me?" he says, making sure it sounds more like a purr.

Iruka hums, turns in Kakashi's embrace and wraps his arms around Kakashi's neck. "I missed you."

"Missed you, too." Kakashi captures Iruka's mouth with his own, pushing his tongue through his lover's slightly parted lips. He slips a hand under Iruka's shirt, lifting the fabric until his fingers come in contact with his lover's nipples.

"K'kashi. Bathe first," Iruka enunciates in a strangled breath and Kakashi makes a concurring sound, guiding Iruka to the bathroom while his mouth continues to attack Iruka's neck.

Only when they're in the bathroom does Kakashi step back to take his clothes off and watch Iruka prepare the tub, pouring some oil and bath bubbles in the rising water. His mismatched eyes are riveted to the mound of Iruka's backside as Iruka bends to turn the water off.

Then Iruka turns with a reprimanding look. "You take a bath. I'll fix you some tea."

"You're not joining me?" Kakashi does his best impression of Naruto's puppy dog eyes, one that seems to work on everyone else, but Iruka only laughs.

"I've already taken a bath. Besides, I know what you plan to do and I am so not having sex in the water. Remember what happened the last time." He plants another chaste kiss on Kakashi's cheek then saunters out of the bathroom in haste, leaving Kakashi feeling abandoned.

The warmth of the water caresses his skin as Kakashi slowly sinks in the tub. He relishes the calming effect of the oil and wishes Iruka's with him, digging his nimble fingers against the knots in Kakashi's shoulders. The thought of Iruka rouses a need to taste every inch of Iruka's skin and the urge to be inside his lover grow stronger every second. Five minutes tops and he's done washing his hair and scrubbing the dirt and grime off every inch of his body. He's a ninja, after all.

When he ambles inside their bedroom, his mouth drops upon seeing his lover sprawled in bed, naked, one hand lazily stroking his cock, the other arm tucked behind his head. There are tea candles lit on the bureau and on the bedside table, the scent of vanilla and sandalwood permeating the air.

Kakashi lets the towel around his waist fall, feeling the soft fabric pool at his feet. Then he climbs onto the bed, his legendary self-control unraveling, and the moment the tip of his fingers come in contact with Iruka's heated skin, Kakashi loses it. He ravishes Iruka with untamed hunger – kissing, nipping, biting and sucking on Iruka's bronze skin. How he has gone without this for nearly two weeks is an impossible feat.

Soon he's pushing into Iruka's, his cock engulfed in the heat of his lover. Much as Kakashi aims to prolong this, his body is starting to feel the exhaustion – an inevitable consequence of an S-rank mission. Iruka must have been thinking the same thing. The sounds spiraling out of Iruka's mouth is spurring him on so he plows into his lover with a purpose, both of them rocking in harmony until they cry out almost at the same time – Iruka spilling his release all over his tummy and Kakashi's body seizing as he reaches his climax.

Kakashi's mouth welcomes Iruka's, the kiss slow and languid. Iruka lifts his hand to brush off Kakashi's silvery white fringes, a small smile creeping into his lips. "Welcome home."

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=0=

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It's been two weeks since his last mission and Sasuke doesn't like being idle. Tsunade or even those guys from the mission room keeps giving him odd tasks that require him to stay close to Konoha. The farthest he's gone is the town ten miles from the village. And that was three days ago. Now he's back and has done nothing but help plan the security measures necessary for the Fire Festival.

One morning, he wakes up feeling rather out of place. It's one of those days wherein he revisits the day he made his decision to take his brother back to the village.

Had it not been for desperate measures, he might have chosen to stay away. But Itachi was dying, slowly ebbing away because of a disease none of the doctors in the towns to where Sasuke had brought him were familiar with. It was when one wayward medic nin from Kiri – a missing nin like them as luck would have it – had suggested to take him to Tsunade that Sasuke realized pride should be set aside if he were to save his brother's life. Quite ironic from his original plan in which for years he had trained solely for the purpose of killing Itachi.

What would have happened if Tobi hadn't intervened, he wonders. Would Itachi have died by Sasuke's hands? If Tobi hadn't told Sasuke the truth – how Itachi's actions were merely consequences of the twisted conspiracy from both their clan and the people who governed the village and about the Uchiha's plan for coup d'etat – then his hands might have been tainted with his brother's blood.

The creaking noise nudges Sasuke out of his reverie. His eyes dart over to the door where Naruto is slipping through while balancing a tray in his hands. "Hey, you're awake," was Naruto way of greeting him. It takes a fraction of a second for Sasuke to notice what his boyfriend is wearing: a frilly white apron that hugs Naruto's body like an additional layer of skin – just the apron and nothing else. Before Sasuke can splutter out any remark, Naruto says, "Happy Birthday," in a singsong voice, places the tray across Sasuke's lap then leans in to press a kiss on Sasuke's lips.

That's basically how Sasuke starts the day – a breakfast in bed and three rounds of birthday sex (Naruto's words, not his) afterwards. There may have been a fourth if Sasuke isn't um… isn't having trouble getting it up. Naruto seems insatiable these days, always in the mood like a bitch in heat that Sasuke just can't keep up. Not that he's complaining.

At noon, Naruto drags him out of the house and when Sasuke asks where they're going, Naruto flashes him his usual megawatt smile and says, "You'll see."

Sasuke mentally stomps on the temptation to bolt the moment they arrive at the picnic ground where members of the so-called Konoha 12 – with Sai in the group, not him – are waiting. Naruto's been pestering him that he should at least try to rebuild the burned bridges between him and their friends, though Sasuke can't recall a time he considered these people his friends. There's no one he can tolerate – except maybe Shikamaru and Shino, since both of them don't talk much.

"Happy birthday, Sasuke!" Sakura exclaims, her high-pitched voice scraping against the protective shell of Sasuke's sanity.

Picnic baskets and colorful blankets littered one area and before Sasuke can ask what the _fuck_ is going on, Naruto whispers, "Itach's idea. He wanted to do something for your birthday."

The alleged perpetrator, Itachi, shows up a little while later, explaining that he has taken the rest of the day off from the Academy. Sasuke raises an eyebrow and gapes at his brother in disbelief. Itachi is pretty serious about his job as an Academy teacher and unless he's very sick, he never misses a class.

"For you, otouto. Just this once, so don't dwell on it," Itachi says, jabbing Sasuke's forehead with two stiff fingers.

"Fine." Sasuke resigns himself to an afternoon with these people he might as well call friends and mourns the loss of privacy he craves so much.

The conversation within the small crowd spirals from politics to weapons to revised training programs for chuunin to the Fire Festival that will be held in two weeks to the local gossips from which the boys, except for Lee and Naruto, shy away.

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=0=

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At the dawn of the Fire Festival, Naruto wakes up with a bad case of nausea. This is the third morning he finds himself hovering over the toilet bowl, practically emptying his stomach. When there's nothing to push out of his system anymore, he retches until he feels the acidic burn in his throat.

_I told you to see Tsunade,_ Kurama berates him. _Been telling you that for the past four weeks, boy._

_Shut up. 'M fine,_ Naruto snaps mentally, even though 'fine' is probably the adjective he should least use to describe how he's feeling. _I'll be fine._ He has to be.

Gaara arrives at the second day of the festival with Temari. Kankurou is apparently preoccupied in Suna. They're strolling down the park when Gaara asks if he's feeling well. "You look awfully pallid, Naruto."

Naruto stills for a moment then forces a smile. "What are you talking about? I'm perfectly fine."

His lie surfaces though when Kiba bounds over to them and offers a grilled squid. "Here, Naruto. I got you a big one."

The stench assaults his nose, causing his insides to roil violently. Air surges up his chest and pushes through his throat. Naruto dashes off to the nearest trash bin he can find. He ends up in an empty alley where he hurls over an open container.

"Naruto? Are you all right?" Kiba's voice bounces off the walls along the narrow passage, concern apparent in his tone. Akamaru whines softly as if the dog can sense Naruto's discomfort.

"Yeah." Naruto straightens up and wipes the traces of spit at the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. "Probably something I ate this morning." This is far from the truth because he barely ingested anything other than half a cup of tea and maybe a quarter of a toasted bread. "Where's Gaara?"

"He asked me to tell you that he has Kazekage duties to attend to and will probably meet you later. Are you sure you're all right? You look paler than Sai, you know?" Kiba leans closer and sniffs. "You certainly don't smell like usual. Are you sick or something?"

"Kiba! Stop being creepy," Naruto chides. "Come on. Let's go find the others."

Nothing happens to him for the rest of the day. And he threatens Kiba not to tell Sasuke about that little incident in the alley

The hurried trip to the bathroom happens again the next morning. And the next. It has become almost like a ritual that it's the first thing Naruto expects once he has completely climbed out of his slumber hole.

It's a good thing this puking spell only happens in the morning. At the last day of the festival though, Naruto braves through a takoyaki eating contest with Chouji and Kiba, completely ignoring Gaara's "are you sure that's a good idea?" warning that he ends up expelling everything he has eaten for the past seven hours.

It's just so unfortunate that when he drags himself out of the public toilet, Sasuke's waiting outside with a cup of kakigori in hand.

Naruto mumbles, "Thanks," and accepts the berry-flavored shaved ice. He brings the cold treat against his mouth, keeping his eyes ahead as they march towards the park. In the pretense of being distracted with the countless displays of colorful masks and lanterns and kites and jewelries, Naruto does his best not to pay heed to the weight of Sasuke's stare.

"Kiba says you've been sick since the festival started," Sasuke says, eyeing Naruto in a way that makes Naruto feels like curling in upon himself.

"Um…." Naruto makes a mental note to give Kiba a good smack on the head. He forces a smile despite feeling like shit at the moment and says, "It's nothing, just a stomach bug or something I ate. Too much chocolate bananas, I guess. It'll go away." His excuses are getting old, even to his own ears. "Oh look! It's the water balloon game. Win something for me please, Sasuke."

Sasuke's _are-you-kidding_ look bores right through him.

"Don't be such a bastard, Sasuke. It's tradition."

"Like I fucking care, usuratonkachi," Sasuke spits indignantly, lines marring the porcelain-like skin on his forehead.

"Fine. Be a jerk." Naruto whirls around, takes a couple of steps then the ground tilts and everything around him swirls and blurs into nothing but black.

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tbc

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	3. Chapter 3

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Part 3

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The last time he felt like this, he remembers standing by Itachi's bed and watching his brother cough up blood, his breath coming in short gasps and his face looked gaunt and deathly pale. That was the time when Itachi practically had one foot in the grave while Tsunade and her team of medics fought and did their best to keep him alive.

Watching the ground claim Naruto earlier pushed the same fear into Sasuke but he was quick to recover and brought Naruto here.

"He'll be fine. It's probably just stress. I heard he's been helping the Fire Festival committee day in and day out these past few weeks," Sakura says with that irritating sugary voice she uses when she's trying to divert from the actual truth.

"Stress? Naruto never gets stressed." To Sasuke, his Naruto is this resilient, hyperactive shinobi that doesn't seem to run out of energy. Ever.

Sakura's mouth twitches then she plants one hand on her hip while using the chart where she's been scribbling notes to gesture at Naruto. "Of course he does. He isn't exactly made of steel, you know?"

"Will both of you keep it down? My head is still pounding," Naruto says, groaning, the heel of his hand pressed against his temple.

"Sorry, Naruto." Sakura reaches out and strokes Naruto's arm and it takes all self-control for Sasuke not to rip her hand away from his boyfriend. How dare she touch him! "Anyway, I've taken samples of your blood so I can do more tests. I'll let you guys know as soon as I have the results."

It's dusk when they leave the hospital, the colors of crepuscule spreading above them. Sasuke intends to take Naruto straight home but the idiot insists of returning to the park for the fire show. Not one to yield to just anybody, Sasuke is all but ready for the debate but the pleading look from Naruto is enough for him to relent. "As long as you're staying over at our place tonight." It's a command, not a request. Sasuke isn't about to let Naruto out of his sight, not in Naruto's current condition.

The smile that spills over Naruto's face is so warm and bright that Sasuke can feel his icy resolve melt so he let's the spunky blond lead him back to the park where they rendezvous with some of their friends and Kakashi and Iruka as well.

The fire show turns out to be spectacular – orange and yellow flames dancing against the bluish gray backdrop of the sky. The artistic element seems to leave Naruto in awe, now looking less ill than he did fifteen minutes ago.

"It's beautiful," Naruto murmurs, head tilted toward the heavens, the flames' glow reflecting on his sapphire eyes, spiky golden locks swaying with the gentle breeze.

"Yeah." Sasuke can't take his eyes off of him. "Beautiful."

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=0=

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_Weird_ is the first thought that brushes through Sakura's mind. It's only hypothetical, seeing that Naruto's blood tests don't suggest any serious illness – just a minimal drop in his blood glucose, a slight decrease in his platelets, but nothing that can cause major alarm.

One thing that stands out though is the presence of the human chorionic gonadotropin or HCG, which… _Nah, can't be._ But there's this nagging feeling that won't rest so she has no choice but to consult with Tsunade.

"I would've dismissed it as something normal, m'lady, something as simple as fatigue... if I've known Naruto's been on missions." Sakura watches the various expressions flash on Tsunade's face while perusing through Naruto's medical chart. "But he hasn't. He has only done D and C-rank missions lately and… well, there was the preparation for the Fire Festival, but we've all pitched in and none of us is going through the same thing. Besides, it will take more than that to make Naruto exhausted."

"Are you sure these results are from Naruto's blood?" The creases between the Hokage's eyebrows deepen.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade. I had it done thrice, even supervised the third one." Sakura shifts her weight from one leg to the other, eager to hear the Hokage's opinion.

"HCG?" Tsunade's gaze is fixed on Sakura. "How is that possible?"

Sakura can understand her confusion. After all, HCG can normally be found in the blood of women… erm, pregnant women, that is. "I don't know, but the symptoms fit. Naruto did say he has been throwing up a lot lately, usually in the mornings and sometimes in the afternoon as well. And he claims he gets tired easily these days. Then there's—"

Tsunade holds out her hand prompting Sakura to stop babbling. "I know, Sakura. I'm well aware of what those symptoms suggest. But… but… well, Naruto is a man. He can't possibly be…." She trails off, teeth worrying her lower lip.

Something clicks inside Sakura's head, like a light bulb turning on. "Oh goodness. M'lady, I remember during our mission at the Nanakusa Island. The fertility fountain. Yes! Naruto did drink water from the fertility fountain. But… but that can't be it, can it?"

"Why didn't you tell me about this before?"

Sakura flinches under the Hokage's piercing gaze. "I… we didn't think it will work on him. Isn't that supposed to work on women only?"

Tsunade's hazel orbs seem to darken; thoughts may be warring in her head. "Well there are a lot of mysterious things in that island, one being the water reservoir. With all the bizarre things we've seen let's just say that the idea of that fountain working on men isn't all that impossible."

That's a valid point, Sakura thinks. She remembers seeing Lady Chiyo transfer her life force into Gaara's dead body while thinking it wasn't all that possible, but it did happen… right before her eyes.

"Tell Naruto I want to see him," Tsunade barks out. "If our suspicions are true, then that boy needs to have regular medical attention."

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=0=

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Having Naruto examined by Sakura is one thing, but Tsunade? Sasuke doesn't know what to think. One thing he's certain of is that 'calm' isn't in his vocabulary at the moment.

What can possibly be wrong with Naruto that Sakura has to bring Tsunade in this? Is it life threatening? Naruto doesn't seem fazed. He still has that idiotic smile plastered on his rather pallid face. The sight isn't all too reassuring.

"What's wrong with him?" Sasuke prefers the direct approach. It's obvious that Sakura has been beating around the bush and she's close to getting under his skin.

It's Tsunade who responds though. She stares at him with a raised eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be on a mission?"

"Kakashi thinks it's best to leave before sun down. Now what's wrong with Naruto?" All this hypotheses bullshit about some water from a fountain they've been prattling about isn't making any sense anymore. Sasuke notices Tsunade and Sakura share a look before Tsunade's gaze swings back to him.

With a deep sigh, Tsunade says, "Well, since you're hear Uchiha, you might as well hear it. I'm pretty sure this involves you, too."

"Why? What? What's wrong with me?" Naruto starts to fidget on the examination table. He doesn't look as relaxed as he had when Tsunade's hands were hovering above his belly earlier.

"Nothing's wrong with you, Naruto." Tsunade looks straight into Naruto's eyes, one hand clutching on Naruto's shoulder. "Unless you consider being pregnant wrong."

Sasuke is about to relax, relieved to hear that Naruto isn't suffering from some terminal illness, when the word catches up to his befuddled mind. "He's what?" he exclaims, startling Naruto out of his stupor in the process. "Is this some kind of a joke, Lady Hokage?"

Tsunade has her arms crossed now, lips pressed into a thin line. "Do I look like I'm kidding? And, presuming you two are exclusive, that means you, Sasuke, is about to become a father."

"B-but… but," Naruto stammers, eyes still wide as saucers. "But Ino says the fertility fountain works only for women. To help them get pregnant and all."

"Well apparently it also works on men. How? I have yet to find out," is Tsunade's retort. "But all tests prove there is indeed a fetus growing inside you, Naruto and another peculiar thing is that you have somehow developed a womb and everything else needed to carry the baby."

The rest of her words go past Sasuke's ears. He remains stunned, mind spiraling into oblivion, even as he walks Naruto home. Naruto mumbles something, probably says he's going to get some sleep, and all Sasuke can do is move his head in a stiff nod before leaving Naruto's apartment.

_You, Sasuke, is about to become a father._ Tsunade's voice still echoes in his head. _There is indeed a fetus growing inside you, Naruto._

When Sasuke arrives home, he finds Itachi puttering in the kitchen and immediately presumes that his brother is on his lunch break. "What happened to you, little brother?" Itachi's voice snaps Sasuke out of his trance. "You look like you've just been told Naruto is pregnant."

Sasuke can feel the blood draining from his face. He regards Itach with an incredulous look. "H-how did you know?"

Itachi stills for a while to utter, "Know what?" then brings the cup he's holding to his lips.

"That… that Naruto's pregnant."

A spray of liquid spatters out of Itachi's mouth and his poor big brother starts coughing. "I was only kidding, Sasuke!"

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=0=

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Naruto has been restless for the past four days. He hasn't spoken to Sasuke since Tsunade has decided to drop a bombshell about his pregnancy. His boyfriend has gone to the Land of Rivers with Neji, Shikamaru and Sakura on a mission the day after and hasn't been back since.

To say he's worried is an understatement. Naruto is totally clueless about Sasuke's sentiment over this mind-boggling situation. Itachi's regular visits don't help either, even if it's quite evident that the man has been trying to console him.

"What if Sasuke decides to leave me? What if he refuses to accept the baby? What if—?"

"Naruto." The stern way Itachi utters his name causes Naruto to clamp his mouth shut. "It's not that Sasuke doesn't want to accept the baby. I'm pretty sure that isn't the case. He's most likely worried that he might not turn out to be a good father."

"You sure?" This is so unlike him. Naruto wonders when optimism has slipped out of his grasp. _Damn hormones._

Itachi sighs. "Look, Naruto. Sasuke loves you. I know with confidence that he does. He's not going to turn his back on you now. Not when you two are about to bring a new life into this world."

The older Uchiha's words appease Naruto… for about five hours. Then he's back into his internal turmoil, hormones going haywire.

The next day, he settles on a self-centered resolution. If Sasuke refuses to play the role of a father, then Naruto will just have to raise the baby on his own.

The day after though, he comes to a decision that he will put the baby up for adoption. There are a lot of couples in Konoha who don't have any children. He's pretty sure that some of them will be willing to take his child.

The following morning, Naruto is in tears. He has just dreamed about hands taking the baby out of his stomach, voices urging him to get rid of it. _It._ Those voices called his baby 'It'. He hears someone screaming, "No, no, no!" and it takes a _damn_ while to realize it's his own voice and a strong grip on his shoulders is shaking him into full consciousness.

"Naruto. You okay?" Itachi swims into his vision, worry framing his handsome face.

"Yeah. Bad dream."

A worried Itachi decides to stay with him that night, following him around like some mother hen. Naruto appreciates the company though, thinks that Itachi's presence keeps the bad dreams away.

Exactly one week after receiving the news, Naruto arrives to find his boyfriend lying on his bed, arms tucked beneath his head. Boxes litter not only his room but the entire apartment. "What's going on?"

Sasuke's eyes flicker to him before springing out of bed. "I'm going to help you pack."

"And why will you help me pack?" Naruto is torn between struggling and surrendering when Sasuke gathers him in his arms. He ends up doing the latter.

"This time, I'm not taking no or you'll think about it for an answer. We're moving in together." Sasuke's mouth descends on his, conveying his message through the kiss – pleading, coaxing, urging Naruto to agree.

"But… is Itachi fine with it?"

Dark brows furrow and coal-colored eyes fasten into his. "We're not going to live with Itachi."

Now, that throws him off. Naruto inclines his head and asks, "We're not?"

"No. I've saved up enough to get our own place." Sasuke's thumb traces the edge of Naruto's lower lip. "Besides, we'll only drive Itachi crazy with all the noises you make when we're making love."

"As if!" Naruto squirms out of Sasuke's embrace and grabs a box off the floor. "I guess you're right though. This place is so cramped as it is for two people. Having one more will be torture." He looks over his shoulder just in time to witness the smile sliding into Sasuke's lips. "Help me pack?"

"Of course, usuratonkachi." Sasuke scoops Naruto in his arms, carrying him like a child, and dumps him inside a large box.

"Teme!"

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=0=

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Iruka doesn't like the way Tsunade is staring at him – like he's some strange specimen that's about to sprout an extra head – with one golden eyebrow arched and the edge of her lower lip caught between pearly white teeth.

_Heavens, no! Am I terminally ill?_ Paranoia seeps into Iruka's psyche. _Is that why I've been throwing up a lot lately?_

"Relax, brat. You're not dying," Tsunade spits out and Iruka wonders if he has spoken out loud. "I don't need to be a mind reader to know what you're thinking. Naruto has that same look when he came to see me almost two weeks ago."

"Oh." The tightness between Iruka's shoulders blades loosens a bit. Then his mind did a quick turnaround. _Wait, Naruto?_ He doesn't get to ask what is wrong with Naruto though because Tsunade's piercing gaze is back on him.

"Did Naruto, by any chance, give you any water after he has gotten back from his mission in Nanakusa?" she asks in a way she would interrogate someone who has done a capital offense.

Confused, Iruka says, "Water?" Then recalling the time Naruto paid him a visit when the young shinobi returned from whatever-you-call-it island, he blurts out, "Yeah, I think so," wondering what the relevance is to his condition – if he does have a condition. "Why?"

"Well, your test results suggest you're pregnant, just like Naruto."

Iruka almost falls off the chair. "What?"

Tsunade bombards him with a lengthy story about some fertility fountain and how she recently discovered that Naruto isn't exactly the first case of male pregnancy. "Apparently, there have been five cases in Kumo in the past, three at present and there have also been a few cases in Kiri but that's classified information that they, unfortunately, refuse to share."

Either none of it makes sense or Iruka's brain has stopped working that he can't digest what the Hokage is trying to say. "What makes you think it's the water?"

The sigh Tsunade releases conveys her frustration. "It can't be a coincidence since that's the only link I can find between you and Naruto. Apparently, Naruto claimed that he also let Izumo drink from his flask on the same day when he ran into Izumo after leaving my office. Izumo seems fine, but then Kotetsu has been away for a month and has just gotten back from his mission with the Feudal Lord last week. I'll give Izumo a couple more weeks. If he starts feeling the same symptoms, then there's no doubt about it. It's in the water."

"Are you sure about this? I mean, me? Pregnant?" Iruka is still waiting for Tsunade to tell him that this is all a joke but the dour look on the Hokage's face clearly suggests the gravity of the situation.

"One thing I suggest, Iruka, is that we keep this amongst ourselves for now." Tsunade speaks in Hokage mode as if she's discussing a life-threatening mission instead of Iruka's health status. "I told you about Naruto because I believe he's the root cause of this peculiar occurrence but I asked him to keep quiet as well."

Iruka can't seem to find his voice when he whispers, "Yes, Hokage-sama." He leaves the hospital feeling like the world has been dumped on his shoulders.

Granted, Tsunade is telling the truth and he is indeed pregnant. What Iruka needs to figure out now is how in the world is he going to tell Kakashi about this?

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tbc

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The lack of reviews makes me wonder whether it's worth the time posting this story here and I have a vague urge to take it down and update and modify it in one archive only. That will save me a lot of time and spare me the effort of making two versions (one html-coded, one formatted). What do you guys think? No reviews or reactions will be interpreted as no one's interested. Thanks to those who took time to review though. You guys rock!

ETA: I really, really, really dislike FFnet's formatting scheme. It's so... I don't know... complicated, I guess that it always, always delete my line breaks.

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	4. Chapter 4

Thanks to those who reviewed/ followed and marked this story as favorite. The story is actually available in AO3 so even if I discontinue it here, you'll still get to read it there, although the entire story is currently being re-written. In my rush to post this fic past deadline, I had to take out several scenes from the original plot outline and compress the entire story so I am trying to remedy that now.

I wrote a couple of additional scenes here (though inconsequential but it helps with the flow) whilst going through a hell of a work week so it took a while to update this part. Any typos or errors will be corrected eventually.

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Part 4

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Sasuke's back stiffens when a weeping Izumo stumbles into his arms and buries his face on Sasuke's shoulder, stray brown locks tickling Sasuke's jaw.

Fighting the urge to hurl the man across the room, Sasuke spends the next ten minutes trying to decipher what seems to be foreign language spewing out of Izumo's mouth. The only words he's able to comprehend are 'baby' and 'pregnant' and 'Kotetsu's being an ass' and the part where Izumo says he wishes to speak with Naruto.

"Naruto isn't here," Sasuke states the obvious, hoping that Izumo will relax enough for Sasuke to peel him away because he's so not into this hugging-a-stranger thing. But the other chuunin has his fingers curled tightly around the fabric of Sasuke's favorite shirt. "He's being trained at the Mission Assignment Desk where he'll be working until… until…."

Izumo raises his head, says the words that are balancing on the tip of Sasuke's tongue. "Until he gives birth?"

It's a feat in itself not to show how thunderstruck he is that Izumo is aware of Naruto's pregnancy but Sasuke's confident he still manages to keep his mask of indifference in place. "How do you know?" he asks, instead of saying something like 'what are you talking about?' to deny the truth that has been imprudently laid out on the table.

Izumo pulls back, wiping the tear tracks on his cheek with the sleeve of his shirt. "Sakura told me. Or more like she let it slip when she informed me that I um…." His bottom lip quivers and he catches it between his teeth then says, "I'm also pregnant. And… and…."

Whatever word that follows 'and' is lost in Izumo's sobs and Sasuke finds himself with an armful of sniveling chuunin once more. Just where is Naruto when you need him?  
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=0=

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_So much for keeping it quiet,_ Tsunade grumbles internally.

News about Naruto and Iruka's pregnancies spread like wildfire. At least they're able to hold it off for a month. Things wouldn't have gone out of hand if Izumo and Kotetsu hadn't been heard and seen arguing by dozens of witnesses the other day when Izumo practically screamed, "You're not the one carrying this baby for the next eight months, you imbecile!"

To make it worse, Kotetsu just had to yell back, "You and your hormonal excuses! I don't see Naruto and Iruka being melodramatic!"

Tsunade may have been able to keep the gossips under control but then Kakashi was seen promenading through the streets while pushing a carriage filled with stuffed animals earlier in the morning. And Aoba Yamashiro is now reporting that Sasuke has just been spotted in a store having the Uchiha crest embroidered on several baby blankets and baby clothes.

"If I may suggest, Hokage-sama," Aoba says and Tsunade can't tell if the tokubetsu jounin is staring at her face or at her chest because of that _damn_ sunglasses he's wearing. "Things can get out of hand once people find out the pregnancies were caused by the water that Naruto took from the island. Perhaps you should lay down some rules to control the situation?"

"You're right." Tsunade calls for a meeting with the temporary council members, Shikaku Nara and Hiashi Hyuuga, soon after. Both men agree that they should not allow anyone else to go through the same predicament until they have proven that these unusual pregnancies won't have any complications.

Later that day, she releases the decree: no male citizen of Konoha shall consume water that comes from the fertility fountain in Nanakusa Island until further notice.  
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=0=

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Naruto glowers at his reflection in the mirror, eyes falling on the mound protruding from his tummy. It's odd, he thinks, that the moment he enters his fifth month, his baby seems to have gone through a growth spurt inside him.

"What are you frowning about, usuratonkatchi?" Sasuke leans against doorsill, a hint of amusement on the small smile sitting on his lips.

"I'm starting to look awfully like Gamatatsu."

Melodic laughter floats out of Sasuke's mouth. He saunters over to Naruto, arms slipping around Naruto's middle. "No, you don't. I think pregnancy rather suits you." He sinks down on his knees, plants a kiss on Naruto's belly and coos, "Hey, baby. Tell Mommy he looks absolutely sexy carrying you inside."

Thinking how out-of-character Sasuke has been acting lately, Naruto gapes at his boyfriend. "Who are you and what have you done to Sasuke Uchiha?"

Kurama's voice flows through Naruto's mind. _I agree with you, boy. I can sense Sasuke's chakra, but the man before you is acting like he's possessed by the crazed personality of the First Hokage._

"I heard you." The pair of sharingan spins in Sasuke's eye sockets. "And for the record, I didn't break through your barrier, Naruto. I didn't need to. Kurama's thoughts are so strong that they're seeping out of you."

A series of rapping on the front door prevents Naruto from reproaching both the kyuubi and Sasuke, "I'll get it." Sasuke's lips land a kiss on Naruto's cheek. "That's probably Kiba. He says he'll pick us up so we can walk to Yakiniku Q together. Go get dressed."

_Seriously, Naruto. Ever since he found out you're pregnant, Sasuke has been acting like he swallowed a bottle of happy pills._ The ever-present sarcasm of the kyuubi coils around Naruto's brain.

_Whatever, Kurama. Now promise to keep quiet and allow me to have lunch with my friends in peace. It's seldom that Shikamaru gets generous enough to treats us all, you know._  
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=0=

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Another mission accomplished and Sasuke can't wait to return to the village. Seven men down and he didn't even break a sweat. All it takes to render them immobile is his Chidori Senbon. He does his best to ignore Neji's grumbling while wishing that Lee and Tenten will hurry up with placing restraints on their captives.

The Hyuuga is clearly pissed that Sasuke has disobeyed yet another direct order. But he's not into wasting time so waiting for Neji's signal was out of the question. The men they were sent to seize are no match for him alone anyway.

As soon as they drop the prisoners off at the holding station near the borders of the Fire Country, Sasuke turns to leave. "Let's head back to the village?"

"Someone's in a hurry," Tenten says with a playful lilt in her tone. "Can't wait to get back to your hubby, heh?"

Lee leaps from one tree branch to the next until he's right beside Sasuke and says, "Of course, he is, Tenten. Love is the spring time of youth they say and Sasuke right now is filled with youthful vigor to return to his beloved."

Someone snorts from behind, no doubt it's Neji. "A little out-of-character for you, Uchiha, I'd say. But then again, it's Naruto we're talking about and we know he's changed a lot of people's views in life – mine included."

Sasuke chooses not to say anything. All he wants is to get back home as soon as possible.

"How far along is he?" Tenten asks, obviously trying her best to match Sasuke's pace.

"Almost six months," is his curt response.

"Have you bought stuff that the baby will need? Have you started preparing the nursery? I can help," she says almost as if in one breath.

"No. We haven't." The only things he has acquired over the last few months are infant clothes and blankets for the sole reason that he wants the Uchiha crest embroidered on them. He knows it will take precious time if he wants the job done without flaws. "We hadn't had time. And how exactly would we know what to get?"

"I can probably help you with the list. I did help Hinata baby sit for Kurenai-sensei so I'm kinda familiar with baby things," Tenten offers, which, casting all Uchiha pride aside, Sasuke accepts.

"We'll help too," Lee pipes in then, glancing behind him, adds, "Won't we, Neji?"

Neji answers with a derisive-sounding grunt. "For the record, I will help for Naruto's sake, not yours, Uchiha." As if Sasuke expects no less.  
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=0=

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"Don't eat too much ramen, she says. In fact, try to stay away from ramen until you give birth. It's not good for your health," Naruto grumbles in an exaggerated imitation of Tsunade, echoing everything she told him when he went for his monthly check up an hour ago.

Irritated, Naruto throws a mouthful of curses at the silent, empty house but manages to keep his temper in check before hurling a vase across the living room. He stares at the hand-crafted porcelain that Yoshino-san gave him as a housewarming present and realizes that he'll probably be in more trouble if Shikamaru's mother finds out that he insolently shattered her gift to pieces.

His mood takes a 360-degree turn when Sasuke comes home with several things for the nursery. With a grin, Sasuke says, "Itachi bought the crib," and drags in huge boxes with Shino, Ino, Hinata, Kiba, Chouji and his older brother in tow.

Naruto suddenly recalls Kurama's happy pill remark and wonders how true it is while watching Sasuke tear off the packaging to reveal a dismantled, polished wooden crib.

Their three-bedroom house soon becomes crowded when Sai, Sakura and Shikamaru arrive with packed lunch. Lee, Neji and Tenten shows up a while later after Itachi leaves for work. The boys volunteer to paint the nursery while Sasuke and Shino work on putting the crib together.

An hour into their tasks, Ino declares, "You don't have enough baby clothes. Come, Naruto. We're going shopping," but not before Zaji shows up at the door to tell Sakura that she's needed at the hospital – something about Genma passing out.

"We have enough baby clothes, Ino," Naruto whines, not sure parading along the streets of Konoha will be a good idea now that he's showing. "Sasuke even has the Uchiha emblem embroidered on them."

"I see only sleep clothes and sleep shirts, nothing the baby can wear when you take him or her to the park," Ino insists and as if that's not enough, Hinata points out that they don't have baby bottles either. Ino looks horrified. "How on earth will you feed your little one, Naruto? Breast feeding?"

The thought makes Naruto's skin crawl. He lets Ino and Hinata drag him to the shopping district where they run into Iruka and Kakashi. The couple is in the middle of an argument, it seems, about what color they should use to paint the nursery.

Naruto's glad he and Sasuke don't have to argue about that. They've agreed to leave it to Sai, hoping that the aspiring artist won't have the peculiar urge to draw monsters on the walls.

When Iruka's gaze falls on Naruto, the chuunin leaves his partner in one corner of the store to greet him. He wraps his arms around Naruto then takes a step back and lays a hand on Naruto's belly. "Look at you! Has the baby started kicking yet? Mine has," he says, laying a hand on his own mound.

"Yeah. Usually when I'm resting." Naruto notices the small bump hidden underneath Iruka's loose shirt. He remembers thinking how surreal it is the first time he heard that Iruka and Izumo are likewise pregnant,

When Naruto returns home before the sun sets, arms laden with shopping bags, Sasuke meets him at the entryway. "I have a surprise for you," he says, his dark-hair gathered in a partial ponytail, smears of purple and green and white paint decorating his cheeks.

"Where are the others?" Naruto asks while he follows his partner all the way to the nursery.

"They just left. Sai and Shino were the last ones to leave." Sasuke stops outside their future baby's room, hand curled around the silver doorknob. "Ready?" He pushes the door open and Naruto's jaw drops.

The walls are filled with pictures of colorful butterflies fluttering over a green meadow and birds soaring through a clear blue sky. There are also flowers and trees and a rainbow in one corner.

Sasuke pulls him further into the room and Naruto's heart leaps when he sees the smiling images of four people painted on the wall adjacent to the door. Naruto leans back against Sasuke with Sasuke's pale and paint-tainted arms wrapped around him.

"I'm not sure how you'll react," Sasuke says in almost a whisper. "I just thought that even if they're no longer around, our baby should still be able to see her grandparents, one way or another."

"Her?" Naruto tilts his head to gaze up at his lover.

"Yes, her. I have a feeling we're going to have a baby girl."

Naruto lets his eyes sweep back to the wall that holds the life-like images of his dad, whom he met in his subconscious during his battle with Pein, and his mom, who swirled into his dazed mind when he was in Kumo training with Bee after the chuunin exams. Beside them are Sasuke's parents, whom Naruto has only seen in a photo that Sasuke apparently still keeps.

"It's beautiful. Sai really is quite an artist," he says wistfully.

"Hn. Much as I hate to admit it, but he is."  
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=0=

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Sunday afternoon tea at Iruka and Kakashi's place has become a tradition – at least for the pregnant men. Iruka appreciates the company, especially when Kakashi's away on a mission.

In the middle of his sixth month, Iruka is starting to get the first-time birth jitters. He admires Naruto's worry-free attitude, seeing as the nineteen-year-old boy has just entered his last trimester. Izumo has the worst nerves among the three of them since he's having twins. That's why even if he's only in his fifth month, his precious baby bump is quite bigger than Iruka's.

"So Sasuke and Kakashi are on the same squad this time?" Izumo asks, popping a piece of tea cake in his mouth.

"Right. I'm not sure if it's Akatsuki-related though. Sasuke no longer shares information about his missions anymore, not since I showed up one time to save his ass when I was only three months pregnant," Naruto says with a guilt-ridden grin.

"You and your stubborn ways," Iruka berates. "I remember how Sasuke couldn't' decide whether to comfort you or to stab you with his chokutou."

Laughter resonates around the kitchen but the noise ceases upon Genma's arrival.

Iruka's the one who rises to his feet to meet Genma at the doorway. "Glad you could come and join us." Truth is, he didn't expect Genma would accept his invitation. The man seems adamant in locking himself up in his apartment since he found out he's pregnant. That fool Raidou tricked him into drinking the, according to Naruto, baby-making water, which Raidou was sent to Nanakusa Island to retrieve for research purposes. With Genma's luck, he manages to consume a fair amount of the mysterious liquid just two days before the Hokage released the decree.

"Look who finally decides to come out of his cave," Izumo jibes.

A tint of crimson spreads over Genma's face. "Raidou says I should stop hiding, that there's nothing to be embarrass about."

"Of course there isn't." Naruto pats the empty chair beside him in silent invitation. "I mean, at least you're not totally showing yet. And I bet you'll look gorgeous even with a round belly. Me, I look like one of my summons." That seems to do the trick because Genma finally relaxes and eventually becomes his usual haughty and wisecracking self.  
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=0=

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"This birth class is pointless," Naruto gripes as usual. Sasuke summons all his reserved patience because he's pretty sure he'll be hearing a string of complaints from his partner once more. "I mean, even Grandma Tsunade doesn't know how we will give birth. Chances are, we will all go through surgery. What's the point in learning breathing exercises and all that shit?"

"The point is, usuratonkachi, if in case it turns out you can deliver naturally, at least you're prepared," Sasuke says with repressed irritation. He wonders if it's natural for men to suffer the dilemma of tolerating the infuriating demands of their eight-month-pregnant wives, or in his case, partner. "Remember what Tsunade-sama said. There are cases in Kumo wherein men did give birth naturally but most did not. It depends on how far the changes in your body will go."

Naruto's blue eyes grow wide. "What are you saying? That I'll miraculously grow a vagina?" he asks, to which Iruka, Izumo and Genma react in an equally horrified manner.

The looks in their faces caused Sasuke to burst into laughter and Kakashi, Kotetsu and Raidou follow suit.

After the birth class, Sasuke decides to bring Naruto to the hot springs. "It will be good for you," he says when Naruto protests, not wanting to be seen naked with his pregnancy mound now the size of a watermelon. "It will help you relax."

Naruto stops right at the edge of the pool, clutching his bathrobe to keep it close. "There are other people here, Sasuke. They'll think I look weird."

"You're pregnant. It's not like that's classified information. The whole village knows. And how do you think they expect you to look like?" Sasuke cajoles. It takes another five minutes of wheedling before Naruto finally acquiesces and discards the robe, eyes focused on the water.

They stay in the warm pool for just a while, Naruto nestled between Sasuke's thigh; back resting against Sasuke's bare chest while Sasuke strokes Naruto's stomach. He feels the sudden pressure on Naruto's side and immediately recognizes it as their baby's powerful kick.

On their way home from the hot springs, they run into Sai, who tells Sasuke that the Hokage wishes to speak with him. "I'll walk Naruto home," he offers.

"Thanks, Sai." Sasuke leaves them to march toward the opposite direction, wondering what the Hokage wants and hopes he's not being sent on a long-term mission, not when there's only a month left before Naruto is due to give birth.  
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=0=

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Something's wrong. It's not that he's being hormonal or paranoid. Naruto is way past that. Something is just not right with Sasuke ever since he had that meeting with Tsunade.

Naruto has been trying to pry for information but his dark-haired boyfriend refuses to talk about it, says it's nothing important. Why then has Sasuke been so aloof and back to his usual brooding self?

"He's been so distant and… and moody. I don't know, Sakura-chan. I'm not even sure if it's something I did or said," he says exasperatedly, glad that Sakura's with him. It's nice of her to take some time off to keep him company while Sasuke is away on a quick mission.

"Maybe he just has a lot of things in mind," Sakura says, pushing a lock of her pink hair behind her ears before reaching out for her cup of tea.

Naruto pushes himself off the couch and rests a hand against his lower back to support the weight that's been straining his spine. "More tea?" he asks, making his way to the kitchen.

"Sure. Let me help you."

Naruto would have declined, but with the baby's weight, he's been having a hard time moving around. "Has he said anything to you recently?" he asks, knowing that Sasuke has been seen with her a lot lately. It amazes Naruto how he has so many eyes around the village.

"Well," she starts, evidently avoiding Naruto's gaze. "He asked me not to tell you. But you have the right to know. I guess." She carries the refilled tea pot back to the living room and Naruto followed her in silence. He sits across Sakura instead of taking the spot next to her like he did earlier.

"Know what?" he prompts when she doesn't say anything more.

"He um… he rejected the offer to join ANBU, says the missions required for him to make it to the organization is too dangerous and he can't risk his life right now, not when he's about to become a father." Sakura pauses to blow on her tea before taking a sip, her eyes still evading Naruto's gaze.

"I didn't know about that," Naruto mumbles pensively, more to himself but Sakura hears it, of course.

"He didn't want to cause you any stress." Her gaze finally lands on Naruto but the emotions swirling on the surface of her green orbs are something Naruto can't read. "You do know how much Sasuke wanted to join ANBU, like his brother did years ago. It's his goal as becoming Hokage is yours. He's meant for great things, but he's holding off because he… well, he has you and your child to consider."

Naruto doesn't know what to think, what to say. "Thanks Sakura," are the only words that rolls off of his tongue and the next half hour of Sakura's visit is mostly filled with uncomfortable silence.

Sakura's words cling to his mind the whole day. _He rejected the offer to join ANBU._ And every time he thinks about it, he's always seized with paralyzing guilt. _It's his goal as becoming Hokage is yours._ It pains him to know that he's been nothing but an obstacle to Sasuke's progress.

For the past couple of years, Sasuke has worked hard integrating himself back to Konoha's shinobi corps – a feat that hasn't been easy because of the people's reservations about his status as a missing nin. But he has survived all the trials and is now well on his way to do, as Sakura has pointed out, great things.

Learning that Sasuke has declined an important opportunity for Naruto's sake is quite disconcerting. But what upsets Naruto more is the fact that Sasuke went to Sakura to pour his frustrations whilst avoiding him.

Thinking that there's only one way for Sasuke to be able to follow his dream, Naruto begins to pack his things. Maybe if he removes himself from the equation, like Sakura has indirectly suggested, then Sasuke will be able to lead the life he wishes.

The problem is where to go. His old apartment is out of the question. It's empty and dusty and Naruto is in no mood for spring cleaning. Besides, he hasn't paid rent in months. The place has probably been leased to someone else now.

His feet somehow lead him to Iruka and Kakashi's place. "Stay here with us," Iruka says, more like insists the way he punctuates the phrase as if he spilling out an order.

"I wouldn't want to impose." Naruto feels so small in Iruka's couch, feels so lost.

"You're not imposing, Naruto. And Iruka's right." Kakashi tugs his mask down and that is all Naruto can do not to gasp at seeing his sensei without the damn thing covering half his face. The man is absolutely gorgeous – nose a perfect aristocratic shape and his lips is so inviting that he fears Iruka might hear his thoughts and throw him out.

"Okay," he says, momentarily forgetting his Sasuke-related dilemma and basks in the comfort of Iruka's embrace.

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tbc

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	5. Chapter 5

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Part 5

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Sasuke leaps off the balcony and onto the roof of the Haruno's residence, eyes riveted to the pale orange glow spilling across the sky, pushing away the remaining clusters of gray.

Guilt claws at the back of his mind at the thought of not going straight home when he arrived from his mission last night. He was so exhausted that dealing with Naruto was the last thing he needed so he sought comfort from the one person who is always willing to listen.

Sakura has been patient. They've talked all night until Sasuke drifted off to sleep and when he woke up just fifteen minutes ago, his mind feels more at ease.

"Had a good night?" someone says and Sasuke promptly recognizes the chakra signature even before he turns around to meet the former Root's gaze.

"A little early for sticking your nose in other people's business, don't you think, Sai?"

"I was given the unfortunate task to do the morning rounds," Sai says in a nonchalant manner. "I'll be on my way." He leaps over to the roof across the street, pauses and looks over his shoulder. "What shall I tell Naruto-kun in case he asks if I've seen you around? I might run into him while he's taking his early morning stroll." Sasuke is about to retort but Sai raises his hand and flashes his unctuous and evidently fake smile that never fails to annoy Sasuke to no end. "See ya."

Not letting Sai ruin his morning and potentially perfect day, Sasuke pushes the conversation out of his mind and dashes from roof to roof toward his neighborhood. A feeling he can't name coils in his belly and a sense of foreboding begins to crawl up his spine.

Sasuke arrives to an empty and eerily silent house. It's not Naruto's absence that triggers the alarm in Sasuke's head but the realization that most of Naruto's clothes and the baby's things are gone. Panic surges through his veins, heart pounding while he bounds across rooftops with an indistinct direction. His feet bring him to Naruto's old apartment but the place is deserted and not even a ghost of Naruto's presence linger.

_Where could he be? Where could he be?_ His instincts lead him to Ichiraku but the shop is just about to open and he doubts the owner has seen Naruto this early.

_Damn, Naruto. Where are you?_ The Mission Room. Naruto usually takes the early shift so he's got to be there. Sasuke nearly flies toward the Hokage Tower, but to his dismay, Naruto isn't at work either.

"Naruto called in sick," the girl on the desk says, her name irrelevant so Sasuke doesn't even wrack his brain for that bit of information.

"What time is Iruka coming in?" he asks, hoping that his former sensei will at least be aware of Naruto's whereabouts.

"I'm sorry, but today is Iruka-sensei's day-off. Is there anything—"

Sasuke doesn't stick around to hear the rest of her words. He has to find Naruto before he crumbles down in worry that something might have happened to him. His mind is spinning with horrible thoughts that he doesn't take notice of Kakashi leaning against a tree until the jounin utters, "Yo."

"Kakashi. Have you seen Naruto?" he blurts out without preamble, disregarding courtesy, though that has never been part of his vocabulary anyway.

"Sure I have," the silver-haired shinobi says, eyes sliding down to the yellow-bound book in his hand.

Patience is something Sasuke doesn't possess either, not right now. "And?"

The lone visible eye springs up to study him for a while then Kakashi's shoulder droops. "He's staying with us, seems pretty upset about something." Sasuke is about to make a run for it but Kakashi says, "Listen, Sasuke. I think it will be best for now if you leave Naruto alone. Let him blow off steam for a while. He'll come around soon enough. "

_No fucking way,_ should have been his impetuous reaction, the words already poised on his lips. But for reasons he cannot fathom, Sasuke chooses to take Kakashi's advice. With a nod, Sasuke ambles down the path that leads to their neighborhood.

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=0=

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"Are you sure about this, Sai?" Iruka folds his arms over his chest, pushes one eyebrow up and studies the pale-skinned shinobi before him with every ounce of skepticism. They don't need to hear another reason for Naruto to doubt Sasuke's fidelity.

Sai shrugs, says, "I'm just telling you what I saw. I didn't mean to imply anything," like he's simply relaying the weather forecast and slumps down on the couch next to Naruto. "It's probably nothing," he adds, draping an arm around Naruto's shoulders. "Maybe he just dropped off a scroll at Sakura's place or something."

Iruka is tempted to remind Sai that earlier, he was practically incriminating that Sasuke is having an affair with the pink-haired kunoichi. It's amazing how Sai is quick to turn the tables around.

As soon as Sai leaves, Iruka hopes his muddled anecdote will be forgotten. Unfortunately, Naruto has the memory of a fox – no pun intended. So he wallows in self-pity, drowning himself in a pint of miso ramen-flavored ice cream (where Kakashi got that frozen treat, he has no clue).

"I doubt Sasuke can even sleep with Sakura," Kakashi butts in from out of the blue. He's been quiet in the other room with his stupid Icha Icha novel for the past hour, but Iruka should have known that eavesdropping is one of his lover's insurmountable talents.

Seizing Kakashi with a warning look that simply tells him not to make fun of the situation, Iruka asks, "Why is that?"

"For one thing, Sasuke has never been, and I'm sure will ever be, interested in women," Kakashi declares matter-of-factly.

"You're right." The spoon filled with the chilled concoction hovers near Naruto's lips. "But still… why would he go to Sakura?"

Iruka wishes the answer is just within his grasp. But he's not going to jump to conclusions. He sinks beside the blonde chuunin, says, "I don't know, Naruto. I don't know," grabs the spoon from Naruto and shoves the melting treat in his mouth. His taste buds react revoltingly upon discerning the peculiar tang of miso and the unpleasant texture of cold ramen with cream and he makes a beeline to the bathroom to rid his mouth of the nauseating flavor.

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=0=

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The village is nondescript, children loiter around and adults meander in front of their houses. Not that Sasuke is paying any heed. It's a mindless mission – to deliver medical supplies – exactly the kind of mission he needs at present. A higher rank will be extremely dangerous for someone whose mind keeps on drifting off into oblivion.

Two days roll past and he hasn't seen Naruto yet. Sasuke is hanging onto the last threads of his patience.

"We're done. Let's head back," Sakura announces with a lilt in her voice.

Sasuke doesn't acknowledge her, just strolls down the unpaved road with apathetic assumption that she's right behind him.

"Something on your mind?" She nudges him with her elbow; the playfulness in her tone doesn't go unnoticed.

"Have you spoken to Naruto lately?" Sasuke asked.

"Just a few days ago. Why?"

A particularly large stone tumbles off the road after colliding with Sasuke's footwear. "He left home and I don't know why. He's been staying with Iruka and Kakashi and no," he adds in haste, almost knowing the question brewing in her mind, "I haven't had a chance to talk to him."

Wordless seconds trickle around them until Sakura comes to an abrupt stop. "Oh." Her eyes seem unfocused. "Oh. I uh… I told him you declined the offer to join ANBU. That can't be why he left, can it?"

Sasuke's strides cease abruptly and he whirls around to face Sakura. "You what?" He can feel the rush of blood rising to his head. "Why did you do that? I trusted you Sakura! I didn't want to tell Naruto because I didn't want to worry him, not with the baby coming and all. But… but you just had to open your acutely annoying mouth!"

Sakura takes a step back, eyes looking frantic. "I'm… I'm sorry, I… I just told him the truth. I know and Naruto knows that you're meant to do greater things Sasuke and—"

"Shut up. I don't want to hear another word. Do me a favor, Sakura. Stay out of our lives." Sasuke scurries out of the village as fast as his feet can carry him, leaving a baffled Sakura for all he cares.

Dark clouds undulate across the sky as soon as he reaches the perimeter of Konoha and rain is already cascading across the village when he crosses the main gate.

The first agenda he has in mind is to head straight to Kakashi's place. The Hatake compound is only blocks away from their house. Kakashi has never considered having the place reconstructed after Pein's invasion, quite content living in an apartment with Iruka, but Tsunade says he might eventually change his mind about living there. And change his mind he did. Soon after learning Iruka is pregnant, Kakashi reckons that they may need a considerable space to raise a child.

Sasuke is soaked to the bone but he doesn't give a shit. What's important is seeing Naruto, talk some sense into him and maybe convince him to come home. He raises his fist and raps on the wooden door with an urgency that anyone who hears may suspect the village is under attack.

The door swings open to reveal a clearly irritated Iruka, frown lines sullying his face. "What the hell, Sasuke?"

"Please, Iruka. I need to speak to Naruto." His voice carries the desperation that weighs heavy in his heart. "Please. I need to see him."

Iruka's face softens to a semblance of sympathy, brown eyes grazing him with pity. "I'm sorry, Sasuke. But Naruto made it clear that he doesn't want to speak with you." He looks over his shoulder, prompting Sasuke to take a peek through the gap but he can't even get a glimpse of his blonde lover. "Go home, Sasuke." Iruka's gaze is back on him. "Get some rest. You look exhausted," he says and steps back inside the house.

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=0=

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The whole house trembles at the incessant pounding on the door. Knowing that it is Sasuke on the other side makes Kakashi wonder why the damn thing hasn't shattered into pieces yet. He can hear the Uchiha's pleas, voice thick with anguish that makes Kakashi's heart breaks.

Naruto is upstairs with Iruka, locked safely inside Naruto's room. But he's certain that Sasuke's desperate cries drift all the way inside the closed space.

Fearing that his house may soon suffer the wrath of Sasuke's chidori, he decides to face his former student. He throws on a hooded coat, grabs an extra for Sasuke and steps out. "Let's go get a drink."

Kakashi brings Sasuke to a bar, disregarding the teen's state of dress and ignoring the bar owner's complaints when Sasuke leaves a trail of water from the entryway all the way to the table.

"How is he?" Sasuke asks after downing the sake and slamming his ochoko down on the wooden surface.

"He's fine, pregnancy-wise. But he's been crying a lot. He thinks you're having an affair with Sakura."

Sasuke snorts and shakes his head, perhaps finding the notion ridiculous. "Naruto knows well that I'm not attracted to women. At all."

"Yeah, but once convinced it's unlikely to happen, he finds other reasons to linger in self-pity," Kakashi says, pulling down his mask to bring his ochoko against his lips. This isn't the first time Sasuke has seen him without his mask on so he finds no need to be wary. He watches Sasuke with curiosity, gauging Sasuke's reaction when he asks, "How true is it that you refused to join ANBU?"

The initial reaction is as expected: a deadly glare. "He's not the only reason why I turned the offer down. My heart is just not into it right now," Sasuke pours another shot of sake down his throat. "I've got other plans, other priorities. We're about to have a baby. ANBU can wait."

If Kakashi is in Sasuke's shoes, he would've thought the same thing. "I understand."

Five flasks of sake later, Sasuke can barely hold himself up. Kakashi has only consumed what his body can handle so he's still sober. Leaving Sasuke alone at the house he shares with Naruto may not be the wisest choice so he decides to bring Sasuke to Itachi's place, glad that the rain has stopped because it will be hell walking all the way to the Uchiha's residence with a weight in his arms.

"What happened to him?" Itachi eyes his brother like Sasuke has grown extra limbs before taking the limp body from Kakashi's arm.

"Too much to drink. And if you meant to ask why he's soaked, well." Kakashi relays the situation about the spectacle Sasuke made earlier at the most concise way possible. "I'll leave him to you, then," he says with a dip of his head before hopping up on the roof.

It's no surprise that he finds Naruto awake when he gets home. "How's Sasuke?" is the first thing his protégé asks.

Kakashi claims the spot on the couch beside Naruto and lays his arm on the back rest a little close to Naruto's head. "He'll be fine, other than the fact that he'll probably wake up with a terrible headache." He ruffles Naruto's blond locks with his gloved hand. "You should talk to him, clear up this colossal misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding?" Large blue eyes gazed up at him expectantly and Kakashi finds the need to explicate further.

With a sigh, Kakashi says, "You're here because you think you're hindering Sasuke's growth as a Leaf shinobi but Sasuke has his priorities straightened out and it may not be what most people expect of him. He may, at one time, had his mind and heart set on being an avenger and killing Itachi, but the bizarre twist of fate changed all that. Being ANBU was probably one of the new goals Sasuke had tried to replace it with but it's not something he has written in stone. Talk to him, Naruto. You're both about to become parents. Act the adults that you should be. For your future child's sake."

Silence reins for a short while. Naruto just sat there, eyes focused on the table in front of them, seemingly lost in thought, perhaps digesting Kakashi's words. Then his head barely moves when he nods. "I will. Maybe tomorrow."

Remembering how inebriated Sasuke is, Kakashi says, "Skip tomorrow. Do it the day after instead." Sasuke is likely to suffer from severe hangover that he may not be of the best of moods.

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=0=

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The sudden flow of chakra from upstairs alerts Itachi that his foolish little brother is about to wake up. He pours tea in a cup and takes it straight to Sasuke's old room. A quiet groan greets him when he approaches the bed and he watches his brother slowly edge out of dreamland with amusement.

"Had a good sleep, otouto?" Itachi gives in to the blithe smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Where am I? What time'zit?" Sasuke pushes up, freezing when he's got himself propped on one elbow, his hand flying up to his forehead. "My head hurts."

Itachi suppresses the laughter fighting its way out of his throat. "Of course, it does. Kakashi has told me an interesting story last night, said you practically downed five bottles of sake." He settles slowly on the edge of Sasuke's bed, knowing that any sudden movement might trigger a bout of nausea. "Five, little brother. I'm surprised you're awake at this hour. And to answer your query, you're at our old place – my place now, technically – and it's nine in the morning, about an hour before you should be meeting with the Hokage."

Sasuke springs out of bed with less grace than usual, groaning once more at what Itachi can only guess is a sudden attack of vertigo. "What? Why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

"I did. You told me to get lost." It was pretty entertaining to see Sasuke so ruffled and disoriented. It's a rare sight after all. "Tsunade-sama has sent a message not too long ago, says she has another mission for you, just surveillance of some sort so it should only take around three to four days."

"Three to four days? But I haven't even had a chance to resolve my problem with Naruto," Sasuke says with every ounce of obvious exasperation.

Itachi wishes he can tell Sasuke that time will fix whatever problem he has with Naruto but there's a remote possibility that leaving things unresolved that long can make things worse for the couple. "I'll talk to Naruto, give him a prelude so—"

"No. Please, Itachi, I… I have to talk to him myself."

_Poor little brother_ is the first thought that wanders through Itachi's mind but then he realizes this… this is Sasuke growing more into adulthood. "Have it your way, then. Here, drink this."

Sasuke accepts the tea and sinks back down on the bed looking forlorn. "Thanks, aniki."

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=0=

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The loud thud isn't what snatches him from the state of deep rest but the strong chakra teeming around him like a thick, warm blanket. Kakashi blinks away the last layer of sleep when he sees Naruto standing in the doorway of their bedroom with one hand on his belly and the other behind him.

"It's time," Naruto says and two mere words send Kakashi and Iruka in a flurry.

"Isn't it too early?" Iruka asks with a pinch in his voice and Kakashi understands his perplexity because they both know Naruto has a week left before his due date.

"Tsunade-sama did say he might have it earlier since this is his first baby and… well, he's male," Kakashi says, so calm that he's pretty sure Iruka envies his serene attitude. He summons Pakkun and Bisuke, asks Pakkun to fetch Sasuke then sends Bisuke to inform the Hokage that Naruto is in labor.

To think Naruto has been holding off for a week to speak to his better half thinking there's still time. Now Naruto will have no choice but to face his estranged boyfriend.

When they arrive at the hospital, Tsunade, Sakura, Ino and, to Iruka's evident surprise, Yamato are waiting right outside the delivery room.

"They need Yamato to control the kyuubi in case he decides to surprise us," Kakashi explains when Iruka asks why the former ANBU is around.

"You don't have to worry about Kurama. He promised to behave and he's not going anywhere," Naruto says through gritted teeth then a string of curses pours out of his mouth.

"It's not that I don't trust our nine-tailed friend, but you know what happened when your mother gave birth. You'll never know if any evil forces are lurking," Tsunade says while helping Naruto on the bed. "Where's Sasuke? We need him to keep both Naruto and Kurama calm!"

Kakashi backs away through the swinging doors with the safe presumption that his presence isn't needed. Sasuke is right outside, slipping into a green protective gown with Sakura's help. As soon as they disappear inside the delivery room, Kakashi releases a breath he's not aware he's been holding. He finds Iruka on the bench, hands resting on his large belly. Kakashi envelops him in his arms, whispers words to calm him down and promises that everything will be all right.

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tbc

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A shameless ad that I'm currently accepting art commissions. Link to information may be found in my profile.

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	6. Chapter 6

Sorry for the delay, I attempted to fix this because I think in most scenes, Sasuke is just too… errm, out of character? But I remembered my goal is to make this a fluffy, angst-healing fic so an out-of-character Sasuke is necessary. Besides, my brain is exhausted. Disclaimer and other notes at first part.

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Part 6

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Naruto feels like his heart is about to burst. He holds his baby girl close, his loving eyes grazing her soft, gentle features. Dark red hair crowns her small, fragile head and a pair of dark orbs that is undoubtedly an Uchiha trait meets Naruto's gaze.

"She looks like your mother," Tsunade says in a voice close to a whisper.

"Yes, she does." Naruto remembers seeing his mom in his subconscious, bright red hair falling down her shoulders.

"And a bit of Sasuke's mother as well," Iruka says, wiggling a finger in front of the baby's face. "Itachi had your family picture on his desk at the Academy," he adds at Sasuke's questioning gaze.

"She has mom's eyes," Itachi observes. "Don't you think, Sasuke?"

_Sasuke._ For a moment, Naruto has completely forgotten his partner is in the room. He knows he should set their differences aside for a while – for their baby's sake. Naruto fastens his gaze with Sasuke's. "Would you… would you like to hold her?"

Sasuke's face visibly glows, a smile curving on his lips. "Yes. Of course. Sure." He holds out his arms with caution and stiffens when Naruto lays their daughter over his pale limbs.

"Well she may not have Sasuke's dark hair, but she's definitely an Uchiha princess," Itachi declares, chest puffing out with pride.

"She's an Uzumaki-Uchiha princess," Tsunade points out and no one in their right minds dare defy her. "So. You two brats have a name for the little one?"

Naruto and Sasuke's eyes meet once more. They've talked about names, long before their little break-up shit started. "We're calling her Tamiko, child of the people," Naruto says, the name sounds like a prayer coming from his lips.

Tsunade's hazel orbs glimmer with something akin to satisfaction. "Well then, welcome to the world, Tamiko Uzumaki – Uchiha."

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=0=

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Without any valid reason to prolong his stay at the hospital, Naruto is released two days later. Sasuke is adamant to bring him and Tamiko home. Thankfully, Naruto doesn't put up a fight but he practically ignores Sasuke as if he doesn't exist, all the congeniality displayed at the hospital gone in an instant.

The first day back, Naruto spends most of his time in the nursery. Sasuke doesn't see it as a cause for concern so he keeps a substantial distance between them, only sauntering inside the brightly-painted room to check on Tamiko.

At dinner time, he brings a bowl of ramen and some rice balls over to Naruto, seeing as his blond lover refuses to peel himself away from their baby. He finds Naruto on the floor, unmoving. Sasuke's heart begins to race, almost dropping the tray but manages to set it on a table before kneeling beside Naruto's form.

"Naruto." He gives Naruto's shoulder a firm shake. "Naruto."

Dark lashes flutter as his eyelids slide open. "Hmm?" Naruto groans when he moves and Sasuke helps him rise to a sitting position, keeping an arm hooked under Naruto's shoulders.

"Did you fall asleep on the floor?" Sasuke asks so softly as if he's afraid Naruto will break if his voice is any louder.

"Guess so."

"I brought you some dinner." Sasuke pulls Naruto to his feet and guides him to the nearest chair – one that doesn't rock. "I had Ichiraku deliver your favorite ramen and I made some rice balls and steamed salmon."

The only response Sasuke receives is a curt nod and he's fine with it. He'll take anything Naruto offers. For now. He grabs a folding table, sets it in front of Naruto and places the tray that holds Naruto's dinner before him.

Sasuke so desperately wants to stay, wants to bask in Naruto's silent company, but doing so will be pushing his luck, so Sasuke decides to take his leave. He hovers next to the crib and watches his daughter sleep for a while then plants a soft kiss on Tamiko's delicate forehead before facing Naruto. "Call me if you need anything." He leaves Naruto staring at his dinner, hoping that his lover will at least get a bite.

Tsunade did warn him about post-natal depression and Sasuke wonders if Naruto is going through that phase. The next day, he questions his depression theory when he sees Naruto laughing along with Kiba, Lee and Sai when the three jerks come to visit. Seeing Naruto relax around them sends a twinge in Sasuke's heart.

The first few nights with Tamiko is… in a word, hellish. Sasuke is barely able to catch forty winks before the sound of her wailing hauls him out of his unconscious state.

It's about two in the morning, if the clock on his bedside table isn't lying, when he hears Tamiko's cries. Naruto doesn't even flinch and Sasuke figures that his partner's body may have surrendered to the temptation of undisturbed slumber.

Sasuke resigns himself into another half hour of feeding and changing diapers. He lifts Tamiko out of her crib and brings her to the kitchen. There are a couple of filled bottles left inside the fridge and Sasuke takes one, thinks of using his Fire style jutsu to heat the water but decides against it. Accidents may happen and he certainly doesn't want to burn the house down. After the milk is warm enough, he takes Tamiko back to the nursery, settles on the rocking chair that Lee has practically cajoled Sasuke into buying and offers the bottle to his baby girl.

Full, burped and changed, Sasuke cradles Tamiko in his arms while pacing around the room, singing a song from memory – a song that seems to unfurl from his subconscious mind.

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=0=

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Naruto awakens at the sound of… was that singing? As quietly as possible, he creeps out of the room and practically tiptoes to the nursery where he can hear the rather enchanting melody.

Sasuke is in the middle of the room with Tamiko cradled in his arms, his body swaying gently while a lullaby of some sorts floating out of his mouth. The song is somewhat familiar, something Naruto remembers Sasuke mumbled-sang to him when he was recuperating at the hospital after a mission almost a year ago.

The sight itself is enough to make Naruto's chest swell with so much emotions. There is not a single doubt in his mind that Sasuke is and will be a good father.

Then Sakura's words claw at the back of his mind. _He's meant for greater things._

Is he? And what greater things could it be that Sasuke is meant to do? The only goal Sasuke has revealed is that he wants to destroy a certain someone and that he wishes to restore his clan. Or more like he wanted to destroy a certain someone and wished to restore his clan – with an emphasis on 'wanted' and 'wished' because those things are nothing but a mere shadow of Sasuke's past now.

The certain someone is now living in the village, in good terms with Sasuke and is a proud assistant instructor at the Academy. And Sasuke has revealed – in an incredibly nonchalant way possible – that the restoring-his-clan part more has to do with this forbidden jutsu he has heard. But. And Naruto could just kiss all deity's feet that there's a 'but' in all this. Sasuke has admitted he wouldn't dream of going there anymore, not after watching Orochimaru use it, said that the last thing he wants is watching his family walk around like the living dead.

Now Naruto wonders if taking a step back so Sasuke can follow his dream of becoming ANBU or whatever is the right move at all. Or by doing that, by placing this metaphorical wall between them, is he hurting Sasuke more?

"What are you doing out of bed?" The deep, gentle timbre of Sasuke's voice nudged Naruto out of his wandering thoughts. "You should get some rest. Let me take care of Tamiko."

Naruto dips his head in a small nod and shifts around to make his way back to their room. He barely makes two steps before he pauses then his body seems to move on its own accord, pivots back to the nursery and ambles over to Sasuke who still has their sleeping baby in his arms.

Leaning over, Naruto strokes Tamiko's head, plants a soft kiss on her temple then lifts his eyes to meet Sasuke's dark ones. "Come back to bed soon," he whispers then returns to the bedroom he shares with Sasuke.

This becomes their routine for the next three weeks. Sasuke will be the one to respond to Tamiko's cries in the night while Naruto attends to her during the day.

Sasuke only accepts missions that will keep him away for two days and nothing more. His dedication as a father is melting Naruto's resolve. Naruto slowly realizes that keeping Sasuke at arms length isn't doing the job it's supposed to do and that leaves him wondering… If Sasuke so wants to become ANBU, shouldn't he be focusing on completing more complicated missions to achieve it rather than acting all domestic and doing the laundry at fucking seven in the morning?

Naruto has just finished preparing breakfast when Sasuke walks out of the laundry room, basket in hand. There is something wrong with the picture, Naruto thinks, even though this isn't the first time he has seen Sasuke do household chores. But there's something different about the Sasuke he's seeing now – the Sasuke wearing his favorite blue shirt that looks almost gray now and shorts with frayed hem, his not-so-long hair forced into a low ponytail with stray strands falling over the sides of his face. Naruto can't stop the smile from taking shape on his lips.

"I'll just hang these clothes to dry then we can eat together. Why don't you check on our daughter first?" leaves Sasuke's mouth before a puff of smoke appears in the middle of the kitchen. The cloud of fine particles soon disperses to reveal Pakkun.

"Hey lovebirds." the dog says languidly, raising a tiny paw in the air. "Kakashi sent me to inform you that Iruka is now at the hospital and is about to give birth."

"What?" Naruto exclaims and he barely hears Sasuke telling him to go before he rushes out of the house in his worn-out sweatpants and sleep shirt.

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=0=

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Itachi rescues Tamiko from the confines of her wicker basket and brings her with him to the kitchen where her father is preparing tea. "Where's Naruto?"

"At the hospital. Iruka gave birth this morning." Sasuke's lips are set tight, a sign that he's holding back emotions.

"Have you talked to him yet?" Itachi knows Sasuke hates it when he pries, but he's worried about his little brother and supposed brother-in-law.

Sasuke's chest rises and falls as he releases a breath that Itachi can only interpret as exasperation. "No. At least he says a phrase or two now instead of his one-word responses. It's been three _fucking_ weeks. I'm almost at the end of my rope, Itachi."

The soft coos from the baby in his arms distract Itachi for a while. His eyes remain on Tamiko while his brain process ideas to offer his brother. "Maybe you can trick him into speaking with you. Prepare a romantic dinner, one he can't reject and you can talk over a decent meal."

"Pretty pathetic idea but it might work," tumbles out of Sasuke's mouth. "Problem is Naruto always uses Tamiko as an excuse not to be alone with me."

"I'll take Tamiko, keep her with me for the night," Itachi offers. He doesn't have a problem taking care of a baby since he practically raised Sasuke from birth.

"You won't mind?"

"Of course, I won't," Itachi accepts the cup of tea Sasuke offers and takes a sip of the hot liquid, wincing when it scorches his tongue. "Now go pack an overnight bag for this little princess. She's spending the night with Uncle Itachi, isn't she?" he says it more to Tamiko, who giggles at the dulcet sing-song tone he uses.

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=0=

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The house is relatively quiet, a peculiar ambiance lingering at the front porch. A couple of red paper lanterns flicker on each side of the front step, illuminating the entryway with an ethereal glow.

When Naruto crosses the threshold, the first thing he notices is the trail of flower petals on the floor that leads all the way to the kitchen. Intrigued, Naruto stalks over to where the trail ends and the sight that greets him makes his heart flip.

The table is set in a blue and white mantle; candles flicker at the center and dishes that probably takes time and effort to prepare fills the rest of the space. Sasuke is standing on the opposite side of the table, a hopeful look framing his handsome face. "Welcome home," he says and pulls a chair as a silent invitation for Naruto to take a seat.

How can Naruto refuse such a grand gesture? Naruto yields and sits down, eyes straying over to meet Sasuke's gaze. "What's this all about?"

Sasuke sinks on the chair across him, eyes never leaving Naruto's. "I figured it's time we talk and settle our differences. If not for our sakes, for our baby's. Please?"

"Where's Tamiko?" Naruto is suddenly aware of the lack of noise coming from the nursery that usually comes at this hour.

"She's with Itachi." Sasuke puts his palm out to Naruto when Naruto attempts to rise from his chair. "Don't worry. Itachi knows more about babies than we do. She'll be fine staying with him for the night. Please, Naruto. We really need to talk."

And talk they did. Naruto tells him everything he heard from Sakura weeks ago while Sasuke points out that joining ANBU is not on top of his priorities anymore. "I thought then, during my first few months back, that joining ANBU will be a perfect means to escape the village without actually leaving Konoha. Hiding behind a mask with discreet identity will remove me from the society. But then you happened, Naruto. No matter how much I tried to push away the feelings you draw out of me, I found myself falling in love with you more each day."

The truth unfolds right before his eyes and Naruto feels like drowning in the emotions swirling in his chest. Sasuke considers him to be more important than anything else and the sentiment brings tears to Naruto's eyes. "R-really?"

"Really, really."

The chair nearly topples back when Naruto springs on his feet to hurl himself to Sasuke, burying his face in the crook of Sasuke's neck and inhaling the scent he misses so much. "I'm sorry. So sorry. I love you, Sasuke."

Strong arms lock around his middle and he can feel the warmth of Sasuke's breath against his temple. "I love you, too."

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=0=

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Proud may be an understatement if Kakashi is to describe the feeling swelling in his chest while watching his friends and former students swarm around Iruka and their one-month-old son, Ichiro Umino-Hatake.

Izumo has been bombarding both Iruka and Naruto with questions because he's scheduled to give birth that week. Genma, who still have months to go, seems intent on taking mental notes. Kakashi doesn't miss the way Raidou lays a possessive hand over Genma's swollen belly.

"Quite a youthful gathering we have here," Gai declares from the doorway, a purple stuffed animal that looks like a cross between a turtle and a frog tucked under his arm. He offers the toy to Kakashi. "For my godson."

"Gee, Gai. Thanks." Kakashi stares at the repugnant-looking thing. He doubts Iruka will approve having it in their son's room, let alone near Ichiro.

"I hear the decree has been lifted," Raidou announces. "Does that mean we'll be seeing more pregnant men in Konoha?"

"Let's just hope war won't break out if that happens. Otherwise, we'll have less capable shinobi to send out to the battle field," Shikamaru remarks.

"Well we won't have to worry about that right now," Kakashi throws in, causing several eyes to glide his way so he's inclined to explain. "The team recently sent to Nanakusa Island has just reported earlier that they found the fountain dry. Tsunade thinks there might only be a certain time in a year that the underground reservoir sprouts water through the fountain."

Gai's hand lands heavily on Kakashi's shoulder. "Does that mean you won't produce a playmate for young Ichiro soon, my eternal rival?" he says, waggling his eyebrows.

"Oh. That." Kakashi has no idea how to explain it. He doesn't quite understand it himself, even with the less medical terms Tsunade used. "Well, according to the reports received from Kumo and Kiri, some of the men who got pregnant had their internal organs return to normal after giving birth. Apparently, that's not the case with Iruka and Naruto."

"You mean they can still get pregnant?" Kotetsu wears an expression that suggests he's wishing the same thing will happen to Izumo.

Kakashi can only shrug. "Pretty much. Tsunade thinks it's a possibility."

"That said." Sasuke rises from the couch and holds out his hand to Naruto. "If you will all excuse us. Naruto and I have some… business to take care off."

"Teme!" Naruto pounds on Sasuke's head with his fist. "You are such a pervert!"

Everyone in the room laughs at the young couple's comical display… including the usually stoic Itachi Uchiha.

Kakashi watches them with his normal eye, his mind taking a clear picture of the scene. He will forever hold on to this particular memory, one that will always remind him that despite the hard life they lead as a shinobi, there are still people like the ones with him right now that makes life worth living.

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_the end_

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Actually no, there is an epilogue.

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**ETA:** There is an illustration for Sasuke and Naruto's baby which was actually part of the family portrait you can see in this story's cover/ avatar. You can find the link in my profile.

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	7. Chapter 7

I have no excuse for the delay, other than my twisted procrastinating habit and worsening memory gap.

This epilogue isn't that significant but hopefully it brings a teeny-weeny closure to the story. I was supposed to insert some spontaneous action scenes in here but I remembered I started writing this with clear intention of making this fluffy and light to cure any heartache that angsty fics bring.

I wrote this story for the BigBang challenge in Livejournal and had (originally) no plans of expanding it, but I do have several one-shots in progress that revolves around the same verse, which I'm writing to fill in some prompts for a different challenge. I don't know if I'll explore this verse further in the future. I might if inspiration strikes.

Disclaimer may be found on first chapter.

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_**EPILOGUE:**_

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It's probably the strangest tale Naruto has heard so he decides to see it for himself. He's standing right on the spot where it all began, right where the odd looking head sculpture sprouting the water that gave him the ability to bear a child is supposed to be. But instead of seeing what everyone has dubbed 'the fertility fountain,' they find nothing but a rock wall covered in thick, slimy vines.

"I wonder what happened," Ino asks, making Naruto feel a sense of déjà vu. "It couldn't have been destroyed. It just looks like it never existed."

Having no explanation or theory to offer, Naruto just shrugs his shoulders. He wonders if the effects of the water from the fountain will likewise cease to exist. Though Tsunade has told him countless times that he may bear another child in the future, he can't help but feel a bit worried. His hand settles on his stomach. It will be nice to have another child or two.

Months crawl past without any significant event other than the Akatsuki's attack on Kumogakure. Naruto wants to go with the team that Tsunade is sending to aid the village, but Tamiko's down with a fever. Damn teething. Besides, Sasuke has forbidden Naruto to take any missions that will take him far from Konoha.

Which.

"You can't expect me to stay here all the time. How are we supposed to earn money if we don't go on missions?" Naruto complains, throwing his arms up in the air to emphasize his frustration. "Besides, Itachi is more than willing to babysit Tamiko when we're both away."

"Money isn't a problem. I've got it covered."

"But you only take C-rank and very little of B-rank missions. How can you earn enough?" Naruto purses his lips and casts a suspicious glance at his partner. "You're not doing something illegal again, are you?"

Sasuke stares at him stolidly.

Naruto narrows his eyes and folds his arms over his chest. "Sasuke…"

Seconds tick by before Sasuke offers some kind of reaction. He sighs, says, "No," and grabs Naruto's wrist, pulling him down on Sasuke's lap. The couch squeaks on the sudden force. "I shouldn't be telling you this because it's not final yet. But Tsunade has asked me to help reinstate the Konoha Military Police Force along with shinobi from other clans, even some who don't belong to any distinguished clans. She said it's probably the ideal job for me since I prefer being close to you and Tamiko most of the time." He holds Naruto's gaze and traps Naruto's chin between his fingers. "Now promise me you won't go telling everyone about it just yet."

"Alright." Naruto leans his head on Sasuke's shoulder. "But you did say it isn't final. So that means I still have to help out. At least let me go with Yamato-taichou on that mission to investigate the Akatsuki's hideout that Itachi has identified."

"Out of the question."

"Why?"

"Naruto." Sasuke's voice has taken a steadfast tone. "Have you forgotten? The Akatsuki – or what's left of them, at least – are on the move again and are after the remaining jinchuuriki. Which means you and Killer Bee aren't exactly safe. I have no desire to be a single parent. Don't be stubborn," he says through gritted teeth, eyebrows pinched – a clear sign that he is close to losing his temper.

Despite wanting to rebut, Naruto knows Sasuke has a point. Tamiko should be his priority. So Naruto acquiesces and sticks around the village to take care of their daughter, to watch her grow. He takes sanctuary on the tranquility that envelops Konoha but doesn't let his skills as shinobi crumble so he trains as regularly as possible.

Then Tamiko turns one and to Naruto's surprise, Sasuke agrees to let him throw a party for her. It's not as lavish as Naruto would've liked though since most of their friends are away on missions. But they did send gifts and Tamiko is ecstatic over her new toys. Itachi won't miss it for the world, of course. And Iruka is there with Kakashi and Ichiro. Sakura has taken time off from the hospital that day to help out. Captain Yamato and Sai make a poignant effort of coming back early from their mission to join them. They celebrate their daughter's special day with their little (dysfunctional) family.

That's all that matters.

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=0=

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"Why are we here?" Naruto sets Tamiko down on the ground. She skitters over to the riverbank where a large picnic basket sits on top of a red and white checkered blanket.

Sasuke keeps a watchful eye on his daughter while half his senses are on Naruto. "We haven't had a picnic in a while. Thought we should have one while we're on break."

They are rarely given a break these days, not since Tobi has been rumored to be recruiting new members for Akatsuki. Then there was the uproar in the village when Kisame showed up, only to pay Itachi a visit. Sasuke couldn't even begin to understand why the man wasn't detained. He might have not meant any harm, but he was still a rogue ninja.

"Tami, don't go near the water!" Naruto hollers and their little girl whirls around and toddles to the opposite direction.

Sasuke can't believe how time flies. Tamiko is already a year and a half old – eighteen months to be exact. She may be their little princess but she hardly carries a grace as a princess would. She's boisterous like her mother (Naruto hates the fact he's considered her mother) and Naruto claims she may have inherited her grandmother Kushina's aggressive nature.

"Mama, look!" Tamiko squeals, reaching up with her tiny hands and trying to catch the butterfly that flutters above her head. "Mama! Catch bu-fly."

"No, Tamiko. Leave the butterfly alone." Naruto scoops her up and brings her to their picnic spot despite her loud protests.

"No, Mama. Down." Tamiko struggles against Naruto's hold. "Me play, Mama."

"Not until you have your lunch." Naruto slumps on the blanket and tucks Tamiko on his lap. "Let's see what Papa prepared for us, okay? Maybe we have some dango. Or some rice balls," he babbles while digging into the basket and Sasuke holds his breath, wondering if Naruto will see it. "Oh, look! We've got yakisoba and yakitori. You want some?"

Sasuke watches helplessly while Naruto pulls out one container after another, his mouth going dry and his heart hammering against his rib cage. Why the hell is he so nervous? They've talked about this and Naruto has blatantly agreed. There's something nerve-wracking about making it official. All Sasuke can do now is hope that his plans won't end up in the trash.

Naruto's arm stills, lines forming between his eyebrows. Then his hand emerges from the depth of the basket, a familiar blue box resting between his fingers. Blue eyes snap up to meet Sasuke's wary gaze.

iIt's now or never,/i Sasuke thinks and, with all the confidence he can muster, makes his way to his boyfriend, his lover, his partner, his better half, his soul mate, his best friend and well, maybe still his rival.

Swallowing his remaining pride, Sasuke gets down on one knee (Kiba's idea) and takes Naruto's hand (Shikamaru's suggestion) while his eyes remain on Naruto's (Itachi's advice). "Naruto—"

"Yes!" springs out of Naruto's mouth then he flings his arms around Sasuke's shoulders. "Yes, yes, yes!"

Sasuke takes hold of him on impulse. "Baka. I haven't said anything yet."

Naruto draws back a little. "Well I kinda know because of the box, which I know has a ring inside, and the picnic and this place," he says, waving an arm in the air. "This is where you took me the first time you asked me out. Officially."

"You just ruined the moment, usuratonkachi." Sasuke huffs a disgruntled breath.

"Shut up, teme. Just put the ring on my finger already."

It's a simple white gold band with three clear gems embedded on top. Kakashi helped pick it at the same store where he got his and Iruka's wedding rings. His hand surprisingly doesn't tremble when he slides it along a slender, tan, finger.

"Mama, pretty!" Tamiko coos, her face hovering close to Naruto's hand. "Pretty."

"Yes it is, princess."

Sasuke watches his partner and his little girl – his family – and makes a silent vow to do all he can to keep them safe forever. Naruto may not be the one who brought him back to the village. But he certainly was the one who gave Sasuke a reason to stay. Now Tamiko gives him a purpose to make Konoha truly his home.

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**_the end_**

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I have more to say but since this is the end of the story, I doubt anyone will care. LOL.

Thank you to all those who have read this and a special thanks to those who took time to review. I sincerely apologize for not responding to reviews. 24 hours ain't enough for my pathetically hectic life. But I do read them and appreciate every single one of your opinion.

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